


Krillin vs The Saiyans

by HT912



Series: Vs Series [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-03 05:38:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 101,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HT912/pseuds/HT912
Summary: When a promise becomes an obsession how strong can a human become?





	1. A Human's Life

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Dragonball Z. All rights go to Akira Toriyama and any affiliates. This applies to my story in its entirety.

4:30. He always wakes up at 4:30. He blames the training; the training that as a young boy seemed impossible could now be done with little effort at all. Despite the yearning, he felt for more sleep he knew it wouldn’t come to him. Once he was up there was no way he would be going back to sleep. Again he blames the training. So just like every morning for as long as he could remember he starts with his morning routine. A brief shower and change of clothes came first followed by brushing his teeth and a quick bite to eat. His options were limited and he soon decided on the takeout from two days ago. For this, he blamed his roommates. He would have to go shopping soon, as the guests would most certainly be hungry. Soon he found himself outside as he did every morning. The small island only consisted of two palm trees and a lawn chair but for the majority of his life, it was home. With his body washed and fed the man readies himself to greet the rising sun with the martial arts he had practiced since he was twelve. The man stood 5 ft tall with not a single blade of hair on his head. His well-built body was the result of many hours doing this same routine over and over again. The man’s name was Krillin. He was a student of Master Roshi, frequent constant to the Worlds Martial Arts Tournament, best friend of Son Goku, and at the moment the only awake on the small island. 

_Don’t want to push myself too hard today. Just go over the basics._

The basics consisted of 5,000 punches, 5,000 kicks, 15 Kamehameha’s, and 2,000 one-handed pushups. The punches and kicks weren’t connected at all and served no real purpose other to relax his body as he prepared himself for the day. The Kamehameha’s were used to strengthen his ki pushing himself to completely use up his energy before finding more through sheer willpower. Krillin had long ago discovered that his roommates Master Roshi and Turtle could sleep through anything. So he had no problem using his master’s signature technique despite shaking the small island. Finally, the pushups were just out of habit as before Master Roshi this was how he trained himself at Orin Temple. With the basics completed Krillin looked to the sky. He had been doing his morning routine for so long he had learned how to tell the time simply based on the placement of the sun.

_6:00, guess I should get going._

So the bald monk took to the sky. Flying was something that Krillin still has trouble coming to terms with. Always looking for a way to make sense of things that was what he was good at. Taking everything he had ever learned a person flying shouldn’t be possible at all. Of course, coming back from the dead should also be impossible and he did that too. However, flying was also a great way to leave Krillin alone with his thoughts. It had been five years since the end of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Five years since Goku defeated Piccolo Jr. and saved the world from total destruction. Thinking about it this was another thing Krillin still couldn’t believe. He knew Goku was strong since the day he had met him. But to actually save the entire world was something that still left him speechless. He had even turned down the chance to become a God!

_I wonder if I would have done the same. Well, it’s not like becoming God would get me a girlfriend or anything._

 What’s worse is that no one even knows about it. Only his friends and the announcer knew what had actually happened. Apparently one of the spectators of the tournament who had run away when Piccolo revealed himself reported the news. Eventually, the media went to investigate the ruins of the tournament. But with no Demon King to be seen and no one else to provide a statement the story eventually died. After Goku had left with Chichi Kami had asked the remaining warriors to keep the truth hidden. If word had gotten out that Piccolo had returned there would be widespread panic. As long as Goku refused to kill Piccolo then the world would never truly be safe. However, Krillin trusted his friend’s decision if he could defeat Piccolo once then he could do it again.

_Not that there’s been a problem. When he left Piccolo swore revenge but it’s been five years and nobody has heard anything._

In fact, the past five years have been the most uneventful of Krillin’s entire life. His life had been dedicated to martial arts and he was always trying to get stronger. But with Goku being the only one who could combat Piccolo his drive had weakened considerably. If you asked him he would say he hasn’t gotten any weaker since five years ago. But would then add meekly add that he hasn’t gotten any stronger either. With no tournament to look forward too, Krillin has gotten used to his morning routine being the only type of training he did all day.

_I guess I should try to get a girlfriend or something. I mean if Goku could get married don’t I have a shot too?_

Married, He still couldn’t believe that weird kid with a tail that used to be his height got married. To a smoking hot babe no less!

_Well, I guess some girls like their men strong. And you can’t get any better than the strongest guy in the entire world._

Though he laughed out loud the thought had stung a little. Wasn’t he the one who started martial arts to get girls? How did Goku beat him?

_It’s because he’s Goku, my best friend, and nothing is going to get better by getting jealous._

 He sighed but smiled when he saw that his destination was finally in sight. It was the island that he and Goku had trained on before the first Worlds Martial Arts tournament. He often came here doing odd jobs for money so that he and his roommates didn’t starve to death. In fact, the odd jobs consisted of the same training he and Goku had done when they were kids. Delivering milk, farming, and helping out with construction, helped pay the bills for the Kame House. Soon he found himself in front of the familiar house he had come across so often during his youth.

“Anyone home?” He asked knocking on the door.

“Oh, Krillin you’re here early.”

The voice came from the garage and the familiar goat appeared before him.

“Early? It’s only 6:15.”

“6:15? Krillin it’s five in the morning.”

“Really? Sorry about that.”

The goat smiled. “What’s on your mind? You’ve never been early before.”

“Guess I’m just nervous, I’m going to see Goku later today.”

“Goku? Oh, that other boy that delivered the milk as well.”

“That’s him.”

 “It’s good to hear you’ve remained friends. Anyway, the milk is all set if you want to get a head start.”

“Sure thing.”

With that Krillin grabbed both boxes of milk and sprinted away. He had memorized the route when he was younger so doing it while running full speed was no problem. He ran pasting the field where he used to skip with Goku, past the trees he used to run through, up the mountain stairs, across the fallen tree, through the desert sand, leaped over the rapids, and jogged away from the dinosaurs. Soon the two boxes were filled up with empty milk bottles and looking at the sun again it wasn’t even six.

_Might as well do everything else as well._

The day continued with Krillin collecting his pay from the goat plowing the farmer’s fields and helping out with construction. By the time he was done he had collected a small fortune.

_Hopefully, this will be enough for Goku. The last thing I need is the eating machine devouring all of our savings too._

So for the second time Krillin flew. With his work done all of his thoughts became occupied with seeing everyone again.

_Bulma will be there too. Been a while since I’ve seen her, wonder how she and Yamcha are doing._

The young genius went back to the city with her boyfriend after the tournament and he thought he would be hearing news about their wedding soon. Yet he had heard nothing.

_They probably broke up again._

Soon Krillin arrived at Central City. From there it was a simple task to buy the truckload of food that he could only hope would feed his best friend. Before long he was back in the air carrying 20 bags each filled to the brim with delicious food.

_The one good thing about having Goku over for dinner is that he isn’t picky. The guy will eat anything._

Finally returning home Krillin opened the door carrying ten bags in each arm.

“Food!”

Krillin was surprised to hear the voice of his master. Usually, the old man slept until noon now that he no longer had anyone to train.

“Most of it is for Goku so I don’t go crazy old man.”

The turtle hermit’s eyebrow twitched.

“Calling your master an old man you’ve got a lot of nerve.”

“I only do it out of love.” Krillin grinned. “Have you heard from Goku or Bulma?”

“Bulma called and said she was coming over in about an hour.”

“Is that why you’re up so early?”

“Darn phone wouldn’t shut up. We need to get an answering machine.”

“If you want to pay for it sure,” said Krillin, as he started to unpack the food.

“Good morning.”

Master and student turned their heads to see Turtle crawling through the door.

“Morning.” Roshi yawned, opening the fridge to pull out a beer.

Roshi turned on the TV and started watching his favorite show Wide-Thigh Aerobics drooling through most of the program. Turtle felt asleep in the corner and Krillin started to make himself a more substantial breakfast then just some leftovers. Eventually, the three roommates heard the familiar sound of a Capsule Corp airplane.

“Hello?”

 _No mistaking that voice_ Krillin thought to himself with a grin.

“Hey, you guys!” The blue haired genius said with a salute.

“Bulma!” cheered Krillin, happy to see his old friend.

She had changed her hair again and seemed to have grown a few inches but other than that nothing had really changed. Krillin did note how great she looked in her tube top and shorts.

 “Wow it sure has been a long time hasn’t it?” said Bulma walking through the door.

“Yep, but look at you! You’re as beautiful as ever.” Roshi said with a smile.

_The old man doesn’t waste any time, does he?_

“Oh, you men you’re impossible.”

“I guess you forgot about my dumplings though. Oh well, that’s okay I’ll forgive you.” Roshi sighed before taking a drink of his beer.

_He must have asked for it when she called._

Bulma grinned and then pulled out a small box from behind her.

“Surprise!”

Roshi was in fact so surprised he choked on his beer as Turtle began to eye the box lovingly.

“See I didn’t forget.”

“Goodness you’re going to spoil this old man.” coughed Roshi, getting the last of the beer out of his throat.

“I’m so happy right now.” The turtle hermit said staring and leaning into Bulma’s cleavage.

“I could just squeeze ya!”

Bulma wasted no time in smashing the box over the dirty man’s head.

“Hey, I was just trying to say thanks.”

 _In the worst way possible._ Krillin thought, picking up the box.

“Hey so, what’s Yamcha been up to these days Bulma?”

As soon as Krillin asked the question and saw his friend grab her jacket in frustration he knew this was a sore subject.

“Ugh, that idiot! I don’t even want to think about him!”

_Of all the questions I could ask I just picked the worst one, didn’t I?_

“He made me so mad I didn’t even tell him we were going to be here today! I never want to see him again! We’re finished! I mean can you believe it? He…he went out with another girl!”

“Breaking up is hard to do,” said Roshi sympathetically.

“I wouldn’t know.” Krillin quickly added. 

Calming down Bulma looked around the Kame House for a quick second.

“So where’s Goku at?”

“Well, he said he was going to be here. I guess he’s on his way,” replied Krillin before walking off and opening the box of dumplings. Just the sight of the snacks made Krillin drool a little.

“Hey Krillin leave me some!” yelled Roshi from across the room.

So the three friends and the turtle started to talk about old times. The tournaments, the hunt for the dragon balls and even the fight against Piccolo had become memories that seemed so long ago. Before long the voice that everyone wanted to hear announced itself just outside the Kame House door.

“Hey is anyone home?”

_Goku!_

Bulma was the first one at the door and flung it open to see Son Goku wearing his trademark uniform. Krillin was right behind her and was just as happy to see his best friend.

“Goku!” said the blue-haired genius with a smile.

“Hi!” He replied looking like he hadn’t aged a day.

But something was wrong; it wasn’t just Goku who stood before them. Their friend was holding a child. A child who was wearing a hat with a dragon ball attached to it.

“Hey who’s the kid?” asked Bulma.

“Trying to earn some extra cash babysitting or something?” questioned Krillin, a little worried that his friend had stolen the child.

“He’s my son,” said Goku with a grin.

Krillin could feel himself go weak in the knees and he wasn’t the only one.

_Goku has a son! Not only did he get married before me he also…he also…he also had…_

“Pretty wild huh?” said Goku bringing Krillin back into reality.

“Oh, Goku he’s adorable,” Bulma exclaimed.

“Gohan say hi.”

“Hello.” The small child answered while bowing deeply.

The three friends and Turtle bowed in response.

“Gohan? I see, so you named him after your grandfather?” Roshi pointed out.

“Sure did.” Goku beamed.

“Well that’s wonderful he’s a fine looking boy. I’m sure your grandpa would have been very proud.”

While Roshi was talking Turtle approached Gohan cautiously only to have the small boy shy away.

“Hey, Gohan how old are you?” asked Bulma said while bringing herself down the small boy’s height.

“Ugh um.” Gohan quickly counted his friends before proudly showing them to the blue haired girl. “Four and a half.”

“Are you going to grow up to be a brave fighter like your dad?”

“Actually Chichi doesn’t let him train at all.” sighed Goku.

“Oh no martial arts huh?” said Bulma sounding a little disappointed. “So what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“An orthopedist.” The small child said quickly.

“Wow,” replied Bulma looking at Goku for a second in disbelief. “An orthopedist huh.”

Turtle then made his move and inched towards Gohan some more. Only for the small child to grab onto his father’s leg even tighter.

“He’s just saying hi Gohan,” said Goku gently.

Bulma then noticed that Gohan had a small brown furry tail sticking out of his pants.

“Oh, Gohan has a tail.”

“Yep, he was born with it. Just like me.”

Turtle got really close to Gohan and put his head down invitingly.

“I think he wants you to pet him Gohan.”

The small child did just that and finally approached Turtle while stroking his head.

_A tail? Uh oh._

As if she could read his mind Bulma approached Goku with a worried look on her face.

“Goku has anything you know strange happened to Gohan at night?”

“What do you mean?” replied Goku

“She means has Gohan ever looked at the moon at night? When it’s full?” said Roshi appearing out of nowhere.

“…No, I don’t think so. Why?”

_If he did then we’d have a giant killer monkey to deal with._

“No reason.” laughed Roshi. “No particular reason at all.”

“Well uh he sure seems to be a lot different from you when you were a kid Goku,” said Krillin watching Gohan meekly play in the water.

“I know Chi-chi can be pretty overprotective when it comes to Gohan. She makes him study all the time and says that martial arts are a waste of energy,” Sighed Goku.

“Oh yeah? Well, what does that make us then?”

_Waste of energy? Martial arts saved the whole world!_

“Now, now settle down boys.” Commanded Roshi “You can’t expect everyone to agree with what you’re doing. It would be all too easy then.”

_I guess that makes sense. Though it does sound like Chichi has changed a lot. Wasn’t it Goku’s martial arts the reason she fell in love with him? It certainly wasn’t his brains._

Soon Gohan finished playing with Turtle and ran back to his father’s side.

“Isn’t that a real dragon ball on Gohan’s hat Goku?” asked Bulma

“Yep, took me a while to find it but I wanted Gohan to have it since it used to belong to my grandfather. I’ve been collecting them for fun I’ve got the three-star and the six-star ball back at home.”

“Wow, it’s crazy to think of all the adventures we used to have trying to find those things,” said Bulma looking off into the sky.

“Yeah, really,” laughed Krillin as he picked up a stone. “So what are you going to wish for when you get all seven?”

He threw the stone into the water and watched it skip until it was out of sight.

“I don’t know Krillin that’s a good question.” Replied Goku as he picked up a stone as well. “Come to think of it I don’t really want anything.”

Goku threw the stone as well but instead of skipping against the waves his stone parted the sea as it literally flew over the ocean.

Sheesh, he’s still as strong as ever.

Goku smiled at the throw then turned to Roshi and Bulma “Hey do you mind showing Gohan around Kame House for a minute? I need to talk to Krillin.”

_Just me? What could this be about?_

“Sure, no problem,” Bulma said, taking Gohan by the hand with Roshi and Turtle following and leading him into the house.

“So how’s married life Goku?”  Krillin asked as he bent down to pick up another stone.

“Honestly, it’s great,” Goku answered with a smile.

This wasn’t the response Krillin had expected. Based on what he had seen at the World Martial Arts Tournament it looked like Goku had just agreed to marry Chichi because she asked. He didn’t even know what a bride was at the time!

“That’s good to hear. I was a little worried about you.” Said Krillin throwing the stone and watching it skip.

“Yeah, I was a little clueless at first and Chichi can be a little testy sometimes but man oh man is it ever worth it. She makes some really good food and she lets me train as much as I want! I guess I can understand why you and Master Roshi like the ladies so much.”

“Well, that’s good to hear Goku. I’m glad everything is going so well.”

While Krillin was happy for his friend he couldn’t help but compare his life to Goku’s.

_He’s got a wife that loves him a son that he cares for and has the strength of a thousand men. If this were a foot race I’d have already lost._

“But listen, Krillin, I didn’t just want to talk about Chichi. I have something I want to ask you.”  Goku said snapping Krillin out of his daydream.

“What is it?”

“Well if something were to ever happen to me. Could you watch over Gohan and Chichi for me?”

_Wait, what?_

“Wh…what do you mean Goku are you in trouble or something?” asked Krillin fearing the worst.

“No, no I just want to make sure that my family is in good hands. The way I see it I’m not going away for a long, long time. But if the worst happens I need someone to protect my family, which includes Gohan now.”

Krillin was stunned.

“Are…are you sure I mean I don’t know if I can and you’ve known Bulma longer. Wouldn’t she be the better choice?”

“Bulma doesn’t know how to fight. I need someone who can watch over and protect them. No matter what happens.”

Krillin didn’t know what to say. Goku was his best friend and that would always be true. But he has changed so much in such little time it just didn’t seem right.

“You don’t have to be so serious. I mean even if you did die we can just wish you back with the dragon balls. You don’t need me to…”

“Krillin, please.”

The bald monk looked at his friend and saw that he was truly serious about this.

_He’s thinking about the future and he wants my help...But what if I’m not strong enough? He’s the strongest guy in the world if someone kills him then what can I do?_

“Goku…I”

“Daddy!”

The two friends spun around to see Gohan running back to his father with Roshi and Bulma following close behind.

“Sorry Goku did you two finish your talk?” said Bulma

Goku looked at Krillin for a second and smiled.

“Yeah we did,” replied Goku as he bent down to pick up his son.

But before he could Goku tensed up and looked to the sky as if he were searching for something.

 “What is it Goku?” asked the turtle hermit already sensing something was wrong.

“There’s something bad heading straight for us.”

“Are you sure?” asked Bulma

“Positive. I’ve never felt power like this before.”

_What is he talking about I don’t feel anythi…_

All at once the power came crashing down on Krillin. He had never felt such evil radiating from one being before. It was as if this one person wished nothing more than the destruction of the entire planet.

_It can’t be Piccolo I don’t know how but this power is even more twisted and dark then his._

 Piccolo was nothing compared to this power. So much so that Krillin almost wished the Demon King could replace whoever was coming this way.

“Yeah, I feel it now too,” mumbled Krillin.

“I don’t see anything.” shrugged Bulma trying to sound hopeful.

Krillin scanned the sky hoping to find the source of the awful energy.

“Look there!” shouted Goku pointing to in a direction Krillin hadn’t bothered to look at yet.

“Oh yes I see it Goku!” yelled Master Roshi

The source of the power was indeed a person flying at the small island with incredible speed. As it began its descent Krillin felt a chill run up his spine and his stomach started to turn.

 _This guy…isn_ ’ _t_ _normal._

Soon the power took the form of a man who stood head and shoulders above the small human. His hair almost touching the ground and his wardrobe consisted of a type of armor that looked almost alien. Over his left eye was some sort of equipment that was already beeping for an unknown reason.

_Definitely not normal._

“So we meet again at last.” said the man his eyes turned directly at Goku.

Krillin could feel his blood freeze as the man spoke. His voice was dark and unforgiving, but there was something else that caught his attention.

_I can smell death in the air. Has he already killed someone?_

Master Roshi seemed to sense the same thing as the old master began to tremble slightly. Bulma looked confused and Krillin was thankful she couldn’t sense energy like the rest of them. Gohan was clinging to his father’s leg as if his life depended on it. Turtle had disappeared and Goku was glaring at the man unsure as to what he meant by “again.”

“You’ve grown up. Even so, I still recognize you, Kakarot.” continued the man staring Goku down.

“Kakarot?” stuttered Goku unsure if he had even pronounced the word correctly.

“That’s right, that’s your name.”

“His name?” Bulma chimed in.

Krillin wanted to say something he really did. But he felt absolutely helpless in front of the power this man seemed to command. The pressure his energy was exerting seemed infinite and it froze his tongue making him unable to say anything.

“Kakarot!” The man continued “What have you been doing all these years? Your mission was to terminate all life on this planet why haven’t you carried it out?”

Silence fell over the small island, as nobody knew the answer to this question. Goku was supposed to terminate all life? The very idea was so laughable Krillin began to feel that this was all just a joke. Slowly the monk began to build up some courage, at least enough to talk.

“Listen I don’t know who you are but you obviously have the wrong guy.”

The man didn’t respond to Krillin and continued to stare down Goku. Feeling even more courageous then usual the monk took a step toward the man.

“We don’t know anyone by the name of Kakarot so you should probably fly back to where ever you came from.”

Again there was no physical response from the man. But his attention shifted from Goku to the small warrior who had dared threaten him. Krillin noticed this and stopped himself from trembling.

_If I can put on a brave face maybe he’ll just go._

“I won’t say it again. Leave before you get hurt.” Krillin said summoning all of his strength as he stood before the man.

“Krillin watch out!” Goku screamed

He saw the attack coming but could do nothing more as he felt his face snap back. The blow was so fast and strong that it knocked Krillin off of his feet and sent him crashing into the Kame House. He could see the living room his face having gone straight through the wall.

_Was…that…a tail?_

Krillin tried to stay awake but he was fighting a losing battle as he felt himself slip into unconsciousness.


	2. A Time To Be Strong

_Weird…I don’t remember going to sleep._

Krillin blinked twice trying to figure out where he was.      

_Regardless I guess I should start my morning…why is the living room upside down?_

It wasn’t a question that Krillin ever thought he would be asking himself but sure enough, the TV the couch and even the fridge had been pasted onto the ceiling.

_Well, that can’t be right, there has to be some kind of explai…_

In a flash, Krillin remembered everything the party, Goku’s son, the arrival of the powerful stranger, and then being knocked clean through the wall of the Kame House.

_That explains the headache._ Krillin thought as he dragged himself out of the wall.

“Krillin are you alright?” asked Goku

Apparently not much had changed since Krillin had lost consciousness. The man hadn’t moved from his spot and everyone seemed to still be frozen with fear.

_I guess they noticed how deadly this guy is after he sent me through a wall._

“I’m fine Goku. But be careful this guy is dangerous.”

“Yeah, I knew that from the moment I set eyes on him. This man is pure evil no doubt about that. Even Piccolo doesn’t compare to him.” Goku spat.

“Such harsh words.” The man sneered “Careful you’re more like me then you realize.”

 “What do you mean?” said Goku his voice waning slightly as if he feared the man’s answer.

“You were born on the planet Vegeta. You are a space fighter, a Saiyan warrior just like me.” Said the man “Allow me to formally introduce myself I’m Raditz, your big brother.”

Krillin could feel his entire being reel back from what he had just heard. He looked around and saw that the others were just as shocked.

_Goku is from another planet? And he has a brother?....No…no I mean that’s just way too crazy…then again Goku never has been normal._

“Why should I believe you?” Goku snapped tearing Krillin away from his thoughts.

_I shouldn’t be thinking about this Goku’s my friend no matter what._

“Yeah, that’s right! What the heck is Goku doing on Earth if he’s from another planet?”

“That’s simple.” Raditz laughed “We sent him here. Kakarot was given specific orders to clear this world of its current inhabitants. A mission, which he has failed miserably.”

Goku flinched and Krillin noticed that his best friend had started to sweat.

_I don’t think I’ve ever seen Goku this nervous before._

 “You see we Saiyans are sort of like planet brokers. We scour space for planets that will bring a high price on the galactic market. Once we find them we send our warriors there to purge them of any life so that they are ready for sale. It is a very profitable business and we take great pride in our work. For example, if we find a planet with strong inhabits we send a team of our best warriors to clear them out. But for weak planets like Earth, one of our babies is usually good enough. To carry out the order.”

“How can you send little babies off into space all alone?” Bulma said reaching down and hugging Gohan.

“Trust me they are more than capable of looking after themselves.” Raditz sneered, as he seemed to eye Gohan’s tail. “Well most of them.” His continued his focus returning to Goku. “Kakarot you’re a disgrace you could have easily wiped out every living thing on this planet by yourself. If you hadn’t forgotten your orders it would have only taken you a year or two at the most. Especially considering this planet has a nice big moon.”

“Let me guess I was probably supposed to blow that up too,” Goku said his glare intensifying.

“You fool!” The small island shook as Raditz yelled and his energy grew “You know as well as I do it is the key to unlocking your true potential. I’m sure at least once in your life you’ve looked at the full moon.”

_Potential?...Moon? what is he talki….wait he can’t mean._

Krillin’s mind reached back to the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament during the final match between Goku and Jackie Chun.

_The giant monkey that destroyed everything that must be the potential he’s talking about. If he knows about that then everything he must be saying….is true._

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Goku yelled his anger getting the better of him.

For the first time since he had arrived Raditz seemed caught off guard. Apparently, he had at least expected Goku to know about his own transformations. He scanned over Goku one more time and saw that his younger brother was lacking a tail at all.

“What, what happened to your tail Kakarot?” Raditz fumed actually stumbling over his own words.

“My tail? Why do you care?”

“Answer me!”

“It was removed permanently a long time ago.”

Raditz took a step back as if he wanted to run away from what he was hearing.

“Do you have any idea of what you’ve done?” The Saiyan warrior said his voice dripping with hatred. “Your true power is gone now! Without your tail, you’ve lost your ability to transform at the full moon. Now I can see how you would be on good terms with these weaklings.”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Goku screamed bringing out all of his power. “This is my home and these are my friends. So it doesn’t matter what you say I am. My name is Son Goku and I live here. Now leave us alone!”

“Even if you are brothers that doesn’t mean Goku has to destroy the planet.” Master Roshi said finding some courage.

_He’s right, it doesn’t matter what could have been. Goku would never destroy this planet._

Krillin was about to say something when Raditz took a step forward.

“So baby brother wants to be left alone. Well, it’s a pity that’s not going to happen. You see at this point Kakarot you are far too valuable to us.”

“What do you mean?” Goku asked readying himself for a fight.

“Tell me brother have you ever heard of the name Frieza?”

“No…I haven’t”

“Amazing.” Raditz scoffed “You truly are clueless. Frieza is the single most powerful being in the entire universe. And many years ago he destroyed our planet with most of our race.”

“Destroyed a planet by himself? That’s impossible.” Bulma pointed out.

“I assure you,” Raditz said with a grin. “It is very possible.” Bulma shuddered as she squeezed Gohan even tighter.

“Well what does that have to do with me?” asked Goku.

“Everything. You see as far as we know there are only four Saiyans left including you. The three of us serve under Frieza and do his bidding but in truth, we are only biding our time. If we have you on our side then that will tip the scales in our favor enough that we can kill Frieza and calm the title of the strongest race in the universe.”

“I have no interest in that or anything else you have to say. Leave now and never return.” Goku snarled.

“No interest you say?” Raditz walked up to Goku and stood face to face his energy engulfing the entire island. “I don’t believe you Kakarot. Doesn’t your Saiyan boil at the thought of another fight? Don’t you want to battle stronger and stronger opponents all for the sake of getting stronger? You were born to fight Kakarot and if you follow me then I can promise you a lifetime of battles.”

“I’VE HEARD ENOUGH!” Goku bellowed letting his power flare. “I’d die before I’d join a group of murders like you!”

“Is that so?” Raditz grinned, as he looked past Goku and right at Gohan. “I have been meaning to ask you Kakarot I couldn’t help but notice that your son has a tail.”

“Leave him out of this!”

“I’ll decide that!” Raditz screamed, “If you won’t join us then I suppose I’ll have to settle for taking the boy in your place.”

Bulma screamed and hugged Gohan even tighter, trying to shield the boy from his alien uncle.

“That’s not going to happen.” Goku glared as he took a stance.

“I see the fire in your eyes brother you should come with us. It’s in your blood you love to fight.”

Goku said nothing and deepened his stance.

“Very well.”

Raditz took a step forward and Krillin felt his blood freeze.

_This is it._

The Saiyan slowly walked toward Goku his eyes filled with hatred with each step the man’s power seemed to grow. Krillin started to tremble but stopped himself before anyone else noticed.

_Calm down. Don’t let the enemy see that you’re scared._ “I’m with you Goku.” The monk whispered just loud enough for only his best friend to hear.

“Just…protect Gohan Krillin please.”

He nodded despite his fears he would not run. Not when his friend needed him. Raditz was almost on top of them his energy almost suffocating the two. Just as Goku pulled his fist ready to strike Raditz disappeared from sight. Both Goku and Krillin looked around widely around for the Saiyan only to have him reappeared inches from Goku’s face. Before Krillin could blink his friend was on the ground screaming in pain.

_What…what just happened?_

“Daddy!”Gohan cried as he broke free from Bulma and rushed to his father’s side.

_He beat Goku…He beat Goku in just one blow I…I can’t stand up to power like that I…I just can’t!_

Krillin took a step back as he watched Raditz walk over to Gohan and pick him up by the collar. Gohan started to cry but it seemed to have no effect on his uncle.

“As I said, I’m taking your son. If you ever want to see him alive again I suggest you listen closely.”

Goku coughed and tried to stand but his strength failed him. He could do nothing but watch as Raditz continued.

“Now then I’ll give you one day to think about my offer. Although let’s be realistic Kakarot I’m not giving you a choice. So when you decide to join us and you will, there’s something I want you to do. Prove to me that you mean it. You can start by killing one hundred of these pathetic Earthlings. Just stack them on the beach when you’re done I’ll be back tomorrow for a head count.”

Krillin could feel his breakfast trying to escape as the Saiyan's words sank in.

_This guy’s a monster, a real-life monster!_

“So what do you say Kakarot? I do hope you’ll come through for me on this one. After all, he is my nephew it would be a shame if I had to…”

“Daddy! Daddy! I’m scared!” Gohan cried cutting off Raditz.

“G…Gohan.” Goku still in terrible pain reached out to his son. “Ple…please don’t hu…hurt him.”

“Your son will remain unharmed as long as you hold up your end of bargain Kakarot. If not then I will make sure that this child suffers.”

“You will do no such thing as long as I’m around.” Master Roshi said stepping toward the armored Saiyan. “Goku is incapable of killing anyone and I will not allow you to harm his family.”

_He’s…he’s serious. Doesn’t he know what kind of power this guy has?_

“Quiet old man, if Kakarot couldn’t touch me then what can you do? Besides he is a Saiyan I think you’d be very surprised to see what he is capable of doing. Of course, it won’t make a difference.” Raditz sneered, “I’ve decided to take over this puny little planet.”

“You…you what!?” Bulma cried unable to comprehend what was happening before her.

“Even without your help, I can conquer this pathetic excuse for a planet in my sleep. So you see Kakarot whether you deliver the bodies or not it makes no difference. In the end, the result is the same.”

Using what little strength he had left Goku grabbed Raditz’s ankle trying to stop the man way he could.

“L…Let him go.”

“I wish I could Kakarot but you see I need to give you a little extra incentive to do what I asked.”

“Lea…leave him…out of this.”

“Look at how pathetic you are please brother show some pride.” Raditz laughed as he kicked Goku’s hand away.

“You have until tomorrow, try to enjoy it.”

Without another word, Raditz started to rise into the air with Gohan screaming for his life.

“S…stop!” Goku screamed finally able to get to his feet.

But Raditz didn’t stop and took off still holding the crying child.

“GOHAN! GOHAN!” He fell to his knees his strength failing him again.

“Gohan.”

The island went silent.

Krillin wanted to speak he wanted to say anything but was unable to find his voice let alone the words.

_Goku…Goku I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m just too weak._

The minutes dragged by before Goku got to his feet almost unwillingly.

“NIMBUS!”

The yellow cloud streaked across the sky completely ignorant of the dire situation.

“No Goku wait!”

“You’ll be killed!”

Both Roshi and Bulma grabbed Goku and pulled him away from the cloud. The newly named Saiyan struggled against his friends but was too weak to break out of their grasp.

“Let…let me go I have to save him.” He gasped.

“Do you really think you can beat him if you go after him right now,” said Master Roshi trying to calm his former student.

“I have to try,” Goku said as he renewed his struggles.

“We need to use our heads, he’s stronger than you Goku. We’ll need to outsmart him.”

He was right and Goku knew it. He slumped back down into the sand defeated for the moment.

“Come on let’s get you out of the sand.”

Each taking a side Bulma and Roshi lifted Goku up and brought him to the steps of the Kame House. Krillin did nothing.

_I was useless. Even now I…I don’t know what to say to him. I don’t think I can look at him._

“Gohan.”

His name was spoken so softly Krillin almost missed it.

“Don’t worry if Raditz wanted to hurt him he would have done it. He’s more interested in you.”

_His brother. What sort of person could do this to their own family? Are all Saiyans this bloodthirsty?_

“I’ve got it,” Goku shouted his eyes lighting up. “His tail.”

It took Krillin only a second to recall his match with Goku back in his tournament days.

_That’s right! Saiyans lose their strength when someone grabs their tail!_

“That’s crazy!” Krillin said before he could stop himself. “He’s stronger then you Goku he’ll kill you before you get that chance.”

“I know,” Goku said slowly getting back to his feet. “But I have to save Gohan.”

“Then let us help you Goku.” Master Roshi said stepping forward. “Krillin and I are ready. Together we’ll be able to show that space pirate what for, right Krillin?”

“If…if there’s three of us then…then maybe. But…” Krillin mumbled looking at the ground. “Wait a second…” Krillin looked at Bulma. “If anything should happen to us you can wish us back with the Dragonballs right?”

_Then at the very least, I’ll know I can come back from this_

“You can count on me,” Bulma said thumping her chest with pride.

“That’s not going to work.”

“What?”

“You and Master Roshi have already been brought back by the Dragon. So if either of you dies you’ll stay dead.” Goku said with a heavy heart.

“What?” said Krillin eyes growing wide.

“The dragon can’t grant the same wish twice. If you die again…you’re not coming back.”

_Oh…that’s…not good._

“You two should just stay here,” Goku said slowly getting back on his feet.

“And let you fight alone? That would be suicide!” Master Roshi screamed stomping his feet into the warm sand.

“We’re not just going to stay here while you get yourself killed!”

_So adding two more bodies would help? I don’t want to die I haven’t even had a girlfriend yet!_

“Krillin?”

The bald monk was brought out of his thoughts as he heard his name

“Are you with me?” asked Goku

Krillin paused he had failed Goku once and was already thinking about giving up. Even so for the first time since they had met each other Goku was asking Krillin for help. He wasn’t about to let his friend down again.

“Yeah…yeah, I’m with you.”

_Till I die again anyway._

“Well, I say we go right now and attack him head on. That’s the one thing he would never expect and it might give us an edge.”

“But how are we going to find him?” asked Roshi.

“I don’t know…I…haven’t figured that part out yet.” Goku slumped.

“Hold on a second. What if we just gather all the Dragonballs and ask the dragon to save the planet,” said Bulma as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Hey, that’s right!”  _Now I don’t have to die!_

“Krillin we can’t gather all of the Dragonballs in just one day. Besides one of the Dragonballs is attached to Gohan’s hat so we’d have to fight Raditz anyway.” Master Roshi said plainly.

“That’s it!” Bulma shouted

 “What’s it?”

“That’s how we find Gohan we can use the dragon radar!”

The young genius reached into her pocket and pulled out the device.

“Why did you bring the radar Bulma?” asked Krillin.

“I thought it would be a good memento didn’t think I would actually have to use it.”

Pushing the button the radar sprang to life already locking on Gohan’s signal. The yellow dot was flying across the screen almost too fast for the device to keep up.

“There they are, man that’s fast.”

Soon the dot started to slow down until stopped completely.

“Good at least we know they aren’t in outer space.” Bulma sighed.

“Thanks, Bulma.”

“It’s what I do.”

“All right then I’m going after them. Are you two ready?”

_No, I’m not I’m the farthest thing from ready. But I’m not about to say that out loud._

“Yeah with the three of us we might just beat this guy.” Said Krillin smashing his fists together.

“If anything happens you two should know you are the best pupils I’ve ever had.” Master Roshi said thumping his chest.

“Aren’t we your only pupils?”

“Details don’t matter let’s fight!”

“That’s a good idea if you’ve got a death wish.”

Krillin’s head shot up to the sky where the voice had originated. Despite the years that have gone by he immediately recognized the voice. It was one of a demon. The demon king Piccolo. Clad in a white cloak and purple gi the green demon sneered as he could see fear wash over the island inhabitants.

_And the day started off so well._

The demon slowly lowered onto the ground and locked eyes with Goku, the only being on Earth that could combat him. Bulma who was familiar with the demon’s strength felt her legs give out but was able to scramble away.

“What do you want Piccolo?” asked Goku already readying himself for battle.

“So you’re an alien? I should have guessed no earthling should be able to stand up to my power.” The green demon sneered.

“What do you want?” Goku repeated his tone harsher than usual.

“I am here because we have something in common. Like you I had a run in with your last visitor. And like you I was defeated.”

_Raditz beat Piccolo too? How strong is this guy?_

“That doesn’t answer my question. What. Do. You. Want?”

“I have come to offer you a deal.”

“Which is?”

“A temporary alliance.”

Surprise swept through the residents and guests of the Kame House.

“I know we are enemies but hear me out,” Piccolo said sweeping his white cloak to one side. “You’ve seen how powerful he is so you should know that neither of us has the strength to stand up to him alone. We’d be dead before the fight started. However, together we might have a chance of overpowering him. It is the only way.”

“How do I know you won’t turn on me when you get the chance?” Goku said his tone still harsh.

“You don’t.”

“Then why help me at all?”

“My reasons are purely selfish. This man wants to take over the planet the one that I have already claimed as my own. I could care less about your son.”

Krillin felt his face go white at the thought of Piccolo ruling the Earth.

“As much as the idea disgusts me I need your help as much as you need mine. So for this battle, we shall work together. However, once this man is dead and buried I shall turn my attention back to you Son Goku.”

“And when that day comes I’ll do everything in my power to stop you. But until then you’ve got a deal.” Goku said with a grin.

“Very well.” Piccolo sneered “If you can stand working with me then I suppose I can bear working with you.”

“Bulma we’re gonna need to borrow the dragon radar.”

“Huh? Oh sure.” Bulma said as she peeked out from her hiding spot.

With the radar in hand, Goku leaped onto the Nimbus and pressed the button. The device sprang to life and he was relieved to see that Gohan hadn’t been moved.

“All right then we’re all set,” Goku said before turning to Piccolo and smiling. “If you think you can keep up.”

“Humph that toy will do you no favors in the coming battle, why even bring it?”

“It’s fun to ride. You should try it some time.”

Krillin snorted at the thought of the demon king falling through the nimbus, which got him a glare from Piccolo.

“Be careful Goku.” Pleaded Bulma

With a nod of approval, the two shot off into the sky leaving the small island behind.

“I don’t know how I feel about this.” Krillin said looking at his feet “I mean should I be relieved or not?”

“Relieved?” Master Roshi shouted, “You should be excited! Those two are the most powerful fighters the Earth has to offer and together they might actually win!”

_Might actually? Where did all of his confidence go?_

“I don’t know do you guys really think we can trust Piccolo?” Said Bulma

“I don’t trust him but we don’t really have any other option do we?” sighed Krillin.

“Come on now! This is the fight of the century and we’re going to miss it! Fire up those jets Bulma we’re going after them!”

Before anyone could say otherwise the three friends squeezed into Bulma’s plane and were launched off the small island.

_Goku should be fine after all he’s got Piccolo backing him up. And once this is over everything can go back to normal…. Then why do I have this terrible feeling?_

* * *

 

“There they are!”

It had taken them an hour to find the sight of the battle. Bulma’s plane wasn’t nearly as fast as the nimbus. Thankfully the young genius has a photographic memory and remembered where exactly the dragonball had stopped on the radar.

“Only one of them is standing.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s…Piccolo.”

_Did he betray Goku? Then why is Raditz on the ground too? What if he found a way to take both of them down?_

“This doesn’t look good,” Roshi said slowly.

As soon as they landed Krillin leaped out of the plane and dashed to the scene of the battle.

_I’m sure he’s just relaxing, after all, I’m sure the battle must have taken a lot out of them. Even Piccolo didn’t look like he was…oh no._

The first thing Krillin saw was the blood. It reminded him of the horrible battle he had watched when Goku fought Piccolo in the final battle of the World Martial Art tournament. He remembered seeing his best friend beaten to an inch of his life while pushing his body to the very limit. But even then there wasn’t as much blood than the amount that poured out of him now.

“GOKU!”

He ran to his friend toward the man he once thought indestructible.

“Goku are you…”

The second thing Krillin saw was the hole. Something had drilled straight through his friend leaving nothing left. The hole had filled up with blood but if Krillin looked hard enough he could probably make out the remains of an organ. But he didn’t have the stomach for it.

“Goku.”

He grabbed his friend’s hand whether it was a comfort for Goku or himself he didn’t know.

_I have to be strong._

“You’re going to make it Goku. You can pull through.”

“Krillin.”  Master Roshi said walking slowly towards his two students.

“He can’t.”

“He has to!” Krillin snapped.

“He has a wife and a son he can’t just leave them!”

“Krillin it’s not…”

“No! Goku just tell him! Say something!”

There was no answer.

“Bulma how’s Gohan doing?” asked Master Roshi.

“He’s still unconscious but he should be fine.” She answered picking up the young half-saiyan.

“That’s…good.”

Krillin’s head snapped back to attention as soon as he heard his friend’s voice.

“Chichi...kill me…if he got…got hurt.”

“Goku.”

_I have to be strong._

“K…Krillin.”

“Yes, Goku?”

“Pl…please take care…of Gohan…for me.”

“Goku…I.”

“Please…”

_I have to be strong._

“I will Goku I swear it. Chichi too. I’ll protect them both.” Krillin answered his grip tightening. “But it doesn’t have to come to that you’re going to be fi-”

“KRILLIN!”

The bald monk visibly flinched as his Master had raised his voice higher than ever before.

“Don’t give him false hope.”

“I…”

Krillin looked at his friend unable to help, tears already burning in his eyes.

“Not…not this time friend.”

_I have to be strong._

“This time…I…I can’t.”

_I have to be strong._

“I’ll wish you back Goku. We already have three Dragonballs.” Krillin said softly his voice barely holding together.

_I have to be strong_

“That’s good…then I’ll see you…soon.”

With that, Goku the mightiest warrior on Earth died. Krillin feeling his tears overflow onto his face as he cried out his best friend’s name stopped being strong.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, just wanted to take a minute to thank you for continuing to read this story past chapter 1. If you are reading this then I hope I'm right in assuming you have at least a passing interest in this type of story so thank you for reading at least a little. 
> 
> Having said that, full disclosure this story is fully uploaded onto Fanfiction.net under the same name and author. I'm uploading onto this site just to get more eyes and opinions on it so I can improve my writing. I'll be uploading chapters here every two days just to space them out a little. Though if you would like to read the whole story without waiting you are more then welcome to check it out. I feel like the later chapters are much better than the first handful. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful day!


	3. The End of Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support any critique is welcome and appreciated.

“Goku you can’t die! You can’t!” Krillin screamed.

He shook his friend’s corpse as if he was trying to wake him from a deep sleep.

“Krillin he’s gone.”

“No, he can’t be! He’s Goku! He’s supposed to be...”

Krillin punched the ground as if breaking it would bring his friend back.

“He’s supposed to be…invincible”

Silence draped the battlefield and no one really wanted to be the one to break it. But it was Master Roshi who shouted in shock as he watched Goku’s body begin to fade.

“Look he’s disappearing!”

Soon, only a pool of blood remained, as Goku’s body disappeared completely.

“Wh…what happened?” Krillin shouted his hand only gripping air now.

“I know,” Piccolo scoffed as he looked to the sky. “It was Kami.”

“Kami?” Krillin frowned.

“The guardian of the Earth.” Piccolo snapped “Or did you already forget him?”

“No, but what would he want with Goku’s body?”

“No doubt he has some special purpose in mind.”

“But what could Kami do with just his body?” Bulma said still holding Gohan

“I don’t know.” Piccolo said “and to be honest I don’t really care. Goku’s dead either way.”

“He’s not dead.”

“Krillin.” Master Roshi put a hand on his student’s shoulder.

“If we can bring him back with the dragonballs then he’s not dead yet.”

“Believe what you want.” Said, Piccolo, as he picked up his weighted clothing.

Krillin glared at the demon but said nothing.

“Hey, how did this Raditz guy find Goku anyway? He just got here but he knew exactly where Goku was.” Bulma asked.

“That device on his face is some kind of sensor,” Piccolo answered not even looking at the others. “It detects strong power levels and tracks their location.”

Bulma looked at the dead saiyan as if she were studying him on an operating table. She walked over to Master Roshi and handed him Gohan.

“Krillin come here.”

Krillin hadn’t moved since he saw Goku disappear but Bulma’s voice brought him back. Deciding that helping his friend was more important than kneeling in front of a pool of blood he walked over.

“What is it?”

“Could you reach down and get that device for me?”

Normally the very idea of touching a corpse would disgust Krillin but after having his friend die in front of him very little seemed to matter. Without another word the monk ripped the device off and handed it to Bulma.

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

Placing it on her ear just as Raditz had when he was breathing Bulma began to hit the buttons hoping for a response. The device sprang to life beeping wildly.

“Hmm, it’s been damaged,” Bulma muttered to herself as she pulled out a mini tool set. She unscrewed a part of the machine and started poking at it with a mini screwdriver. “I think I can fix it though.”

“Really?” Master Roshi asked still holding the sleeping Gohan.

“Yeah and if I can do that then I can also reprogram it to show numbers in our language. Then we can find Tien and Yamcha.”

“Good, we’ll need their help with the other saiyans,” Piccolo added.

The news was so unexpected Krillin thought he had heard wrong.

“Other saiyans?”

“Yes.” The demon said slowly. “This one told us about his two companions who would avenge him. Apparently, they are many times more powerful. They’ll be here in about a one year’s time.”

“Why…why are they coming here?” Bulma asked shaking out of fear.

“That device recorded our battle and sent it to his allies. The dragonballs were mentioned and that seemed to interest him. No doubt the idea of limitless power is enough incentive to come here.”

Krillin felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. Wasn’t the danger over?

_A year? That’s nothing! Goku couldn’t even beat this one alone and there’s more? What are we doing to do?_

“Krillin.”

The monk’s thought process shattered as he felt his master’s hand on his shoulder.

“We should get going. We have a lot of work to do.”

_He’s right._

“Then we should drop off Gohan at home. We can pick up the dragonballs Goku collected as…well.”

Krillin slowed as he saw the Piccolo gripping his stub his face twisted in pain. Fearing an attack Krillin stepped in front of his friends and threw himself into a stance.

_He said he wanted to take over once Raditz was dead but I didn’t think he would turn on us so quickly. With Goku gone we have no chance but I won’t let anybody die in front of me without out a fight!_

The demon’s power continued to spike and Krillin could feel the fear bubbling in his stomach. The demon screamed and an arm shot out taking the place where Piccolo had lost his old one. He flexed his newly acquired limb but did nothing more. Krillin was still suspicious but he could feel Piccolo’s power begin to drop.

_I forgot he could do that._

“Before you leave.” Piccolo started cutting the silence. “I have a request to make.”

“What kind of request?” asked Krillin.

“This sounds strange but you need to put your emotions aside. I want Goku’s son to come with me for special training.”

Every instinct in Krillin’s body screamed and he let his power flare. Before he knew what he was doing Krillin was glaring at Piccolo barely able to contain his anger.

“Earlier today this boy showed signs that he might be the most powerful person on his planet.”

Krillin’s anger gave way to surprise, which gave way to confusion.

“Gohan? But he’s just a kid. He’s not even five yet.”

“And yet I saw with my own eyes that child take down Raditz all by himself.” said Piccolo, “If it weren’t for him both Goku and I would be dead and I can assure you so would the rest of the planet.”

_Gohan saved them? Gohan’s stronger than Goku?_

“If that’s the case then why did Goku have to die? If Gohan defeated Raditz why is Goku gone?” said Bulma her voice a little shaky.

“Gohan had the power to kill the saiyan but it only lasted for a second. The boy merely stunned him and lost his will to fight a moment later.”

“Leaving Raditz to kill Goku.” Said Krillin looking at the pool of now dried blood.

“No.”

Krillin looked back at Piccolo the demon had spoken so softly he had almost missed it.

“Goku sacrificed himself to kill his brother. Raditz didn’t kill Goku. I did.”

Krillin’s eyes grew wide and his anger returned ten-fold.

“That is why I’m taking the boy I can teach him how to use his power so he can use it to defend the Earth when the other saiyans arrive.”

“No.” Krillin spat “I won’t let you.”

Piccolo looked at the bald monk and smirked almost amused.

“You? You won’t let me?” said the demon.

Krillin could feel Piccolo’s power rising again, but didn’t care.

“I made a promise to Goku. I would protect his family from harm. And I can think of no greater harm than the person who killed him.”

“So what do you plan to do about it human?” said Piccolo his smirk becoming a grin.

 Without another word, Krillin dug himself into a stance as his trembling hands, slowly curled into fists.

“Krillin stop!”

The monk froze hearing his master’s words.

“Piccolo is on our side now. We can’t afford to fight amidst ourselves now.

“But…we can’t just let him take Gohan. He’s just a child.”

“According to Piccolo he’s the strongest of us all and we are going to need every fighter we can get.”

“But…but he could be lying.” Said Krillin

“He has no reason too. Not with the planet at stake here. If the saiyans win there won’t be a world left for him to conquer. Isn’t that right demon king?”

“As much as it disgusts me you are right. These two saiyans are going to be even stronger which means alone I have no chance. So I’m going to need the help of you and your friends if we are to survive. And that includes Goku’s son.”

Krillin said nothing still doubting the demon’s words.

“Krillin I don’t like it any more than you do. However, if the rest of the world is to survive we must let him take Gohan.” Master Roshi said slowly.

“I…I don’t.” Krillin started looking at the ground

“The boy needs to be trained.”

Silence encased the land as the monk continued to stare at nothing.

“Then…then I’ll train him.”

“You?” Piccolo laughed. “You can’t even train yourself.”

“What?” said Krillin glaring at the demon.

“I could tell the moment you tried to attack me. You haven’t gotten any stronger since the tournament five years ago.”

_How…how does he know that?_

“You won’t be able to give the training the child needs. What he needs is someone who will push him to his limits so he can use his power effectively. You would just baby him.”

Krillin tried to say something but it died in his throat.

_He’s right. I wouldn’t be able to teach him. If anything I might just drag him down make him easier for the saiyans to kill._

Taking Krillin’s silence as his approval Piccolo raised his finger and curled in the direction of the unconscious child. Gohan was lifted out of Master Roshi’s arms and started floating toward the demon.

_There’s…there’s nothing I can do…I’m too weak…I just can’t._

Krillin looked at Gohan so young and already trust into a world of pain. Not even five and already he had to watch his father die. The people who were supposed to watch over him were even handing him over to a demon.

**Pl…please take care…of Gohan…for me.**

Krillin’s eyes widened as Goku’s voice echoed in his head.

**Please…**

Piccolo reached out to take the floating child but was stopped when Krillin threw himself in between them and grabbed Gohan out of the air.

“NO!” Krillin screamed, “I WON’T LET YOU TOUCH HIM!”

Piccolo seemed unimpressed and lowered his hand as he glared at the monk.

“You can’t protect him.”

“I WILL!” Krillin placed Gohan the ground and dashed at the demon king. “I WILL!”

His first kick hit only air, as did his first punch. The second was caught by Piccolo and Krillin was forced to stare into the demon's eyes.

“You’re too weak.”

Krillin ripped his fist out of Piccolo’s hold and began his attack again. Piccolo dodged everything Krillin threw at him. Evading a kick Piccolo shot a counter that connected with Krillin’s chin. The monk’s head was snapped into the air and stayed there for a second. His head spinning Krillin took a step back trying to regain his focus.

“Is that it?”

With another scream, Krillin resumed his attack the demon avoiding his blows with ease. 

Perhaps he was waiting for the monk to grow tired but as the fight dragged on Krillin showed no signs of slowing down.

“Enough!” Piccolo shouted driving his elbow into Krillin’s face forcing the human to the ground. “This accomplishes nothing. I’m taking the boy.”

Piccolo turned towards Gohan but sensed something was wrong. Barely dodging another kick Piccolo looked at his attacker only to see Krillin on his feet a wide cut close to his mouth bleeding wildly.

“Fine. If you want to fight so badly I’ll indulge you.”

This time it was Piccolo who rushed to Krillin. The monk had no time to defend himself before Piccolo’s green fist connected with his stomach. All the air Krillin was holding left him in an instant. Before he could recover Krillin felt his cheek cave in as Piccolo’s kick streaked across his face. The demon king was ruthless, offering the human no time to recover or fight back. The blood from his cut stained both his face and clothes as the monk was beaten again and again.

“Shouldn’t you stop this?” Bulma asked clearly worried for her friend’s safety.

“He needs this.” said the old man.

Krillin felt his spine arch skyward as he received another body blow from Piccolo. The punch forced his legs to fail and Krillin fell to his knees.

“Do you understand now? We don’t have time for this human we need every second of the year that we have. I won’t kill the boy but I need to be the one to train him. We don’t have any other option.”

Krillin wasn’t listening; in fact, he hadn’t heard a single thing Piccolo had said. He was too busy collecting energy into the palm of his hands. Throwing the ball of ki into the demon king’s face Krillin was able to flip backward to gain some ground. Piccolo was more surprised than anything else but the dust the attack brought up clouded his vision.

“KA.”

Immediately recognizing the attack Piccolo cleared the dust with a single wave of his arm.

“ME.”

Hearing the voice come from behind him Piccolo whipped around to see Krillin gathering his ki.

“HA.”

Piccolo flew toward the human hoping to stop him.

“ME.”

The demon king was right on top of Krillin his punch already cutting through the air.

“HA!!!”

Krillin thrust both his hands forward and let the beam of energy hit Piccolo point blank. He poured out everything he had from his pool of energy. The beam intensified as Krillin used all his emotion to bring out every ounce of strength. His grief at the death of his friend, his anger at his own weakness, and the strength of his promise everything went into the blast. Dust began to whip around as the energy collided with the demon king and Krillin could hear a grunt of pain as the beam overtook Piccolo. And when the last bit of energy left his hands Krillin slumped over panting frantically. He had nothing left; just standing up was now beyond him. The attack was the greatest show of strength Krillin had ever put out. But it wasn’t enough. As the dust cleared there Piccolo stood unfazed. Seeing this Krillin willed himself to keep fighting but a swift punch from Piccolo ended the attempt. The monk hit the ground hard enough that it made his world spin.

“I should kill you for that.” said Piccolo “But lucky for you, we need your pitiful power in the fight.”

Krillin tried pushing himself up with his hands but with his energy gone, it was pointless.

“You’re too weak to protect or train him.” Piccolo continued as he walked over and picked Gohan up, “Which is why you need to get stronger.”

Again Krillin tried pushing himself up and again he failed.

“Because if you don’t, then people are going to start dying. Just like Goku.”

Krillin stopped struggling and began to listen.

_I…need to get stronger_

“If you want to protect this kid, then fight. Fight until you die, human.”

Without another word, Piccolo flew off with Gohan still oblivious to the rest of the world. Bulma and Master Roshi stepped toward Krillin but stopped when they saw the remaining student of the turtle hermit crying into the ground.

* * *

 

Later on Bulma’s plane, the three friends sat in silence still trying to absorb what had just happened. Krillin sat in the back with Master Roshi as Bulma flew the plane. Gohan’s hat with the dragonball still attached to it rested on his lap.

“How are you feeling?” Master Roshi asked his voice soft and gentle.

“I…I couldn’t do anything,” Krillin responded the blood on his shirt now dry.

“Krillin.” The monk turned towards his master the old man already speaking in a soft tone. “The world isn’t always fair to those who want to do the right thing. While it is a cruel thing to give a child to a demon we had no choice. If we didn’t that could have cost us the entire planet. It could be Gohan’s presence in the coming fight that determines whether or not mankind lives or dies at the hands of these saiyans.”

“Then, that fight really was just a waste of time huh.” Said Krillin looking out the window watching the land go by.

“No my boy, you couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Krillin turned to look at his master his eyes glowing behind his glasses.

“This morning you were too scared to look at Goku after Gohan was taken. Now you are a man who can fight against Piccolo without fear, without hesitation.”

“It didn’t matter…I was too weak to change anything, again.”

“Yet you tried. And I don’t believe the Krillin from this morning could have done that. Not when you could have just let him take Gohan without a fight. You honored the promise you made to Goku and I believe you have grown stronger because of that. You’re a hero for trying my pupil.”

Krillin looked at his master the same man that this morning was complaining about not having an answering machine so the phone would stop ringing.

_I guess he can say some cool things every once in a while._

“Thank you… master.”

The old man smiled.

“It’s been a long time since you called me that.”

“Sorry to break up this little love fest but we do have a problem.” Said Bulma tired of being out of the conversation.

“What?”

“Who’s going to tell Chi-chi?”

_Oh…I forgot about that._

“That is a problem.” Master Roshi sighed “We can bring Goku back but Gohan…”

“I’ll do it.” Said Krillin

“Are you sure?” Master Roshi asked

“Yeah, Goku wa…is my best friend so I should be the one to tell Chi-chi what’s going on.”

“Good luck.” The old man and the genius said at the same time.

* * *

 

_So now that I’m here…what do I say?_

Krillin stood in front of the address Roshi gave him finding himself unable to knock on the door of the house on 439 East District.  Dressed up in the one suit he owned Krillin tried to make him look presentable. He had cleaned himself up after the fight against Piccolo and tried to look like he hadn’t just gotten the life beaten out of him.

_It would be easier if the only thing I had to explain was Goku’s death. But instead I have to explain to Chi-chi that her husband is an alien that destroys planets for profit and her only son was kidnapped by Piccolo…why did I volunteer for this?_

The monk sighed, as he knew this was going to be anything but easy. He needed at least a few more minutes before he would be ready to throw himself into the lion’s den so he looked at the house that his best friend had once lived. With the power that Goku held one would think he would prefer to live in a castle or something someplace grand and huge as if some sort of monument to his strength. But only Goku could be the strongest and choose to live in a small house up in the country. His grandpa’s old hut right next door to his home.

_Hard to believe this is the first time I’m visiting my best friend’s house. But I suppose raising a family must take up all your time…I bet it’s great, returning after a hard day of training to a wife and kid that both love you. Then you would all sit down and eat together as a family…must be nice. Can he go back to that? If I tell Chi-chi Goku’s not human how will she react? Will she still love him? What if she doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore? Should I even tell her? I…I don’t know what to do. Goku…what do you want me to do?_

“Krillin?”

The monk nearly jumped out of his skin at the mention of his name. He hadn’t even noticed the door being opened.

“It is Krillin, right? From the tournament?”

“Yeah, that’s me… you’re Chichi?”

Krillin got a good look at his best friend’s wife and couldn’t believe what he saw. The last time he and Chichi had seen each other was during the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai tournament. Back then he thought she was pretty cute but was fairly obvious she only had eyes for Goku. Now five years later she had grown from a girl to a woman and in that very moment, Krillin had never been more jealous of his best friend.

_She’s…she’s gorgeous! How on Earth did Goku get so lucky? He didn’t even know what a woman looked like when he was a kid!_

Krillin knew he was staring but couldn’t take himself away from the Chichi’s beauty.

_So I live with an old man and a turtle while Goku gets to marry a goddess? Why oh why is life so unfair to me?_

“Are…are you okay? You look a little beat up.”

Krillin was brought back by Chichi’s voice who sounded a little concerned about the monk.

“Ugh yeah! Yeah, I’m fine.” Said Krillin

_How embarrassing._

“What are you doing here? I thought you were with Goku.”

And just like that all of Krillin’s jealousy disappeared only to be replaced with crushing grief.

“Yeah I…I actually need to talk to you about that.”

Chichi looked at the somber monk and her eyes grew wide.

“What happened?”

“I…I’ll start from the beginning but first, can I come in?”

Chichi hesitated as if stopping Krillin would wipe away the bad news he brought with him. But the princess stepped to the side and let the martial artist in.

“Hello, who is this?”

Krillin turned to face a giant of a man who wore a horned helmet on his head and a beard on his face.

_Whoa, am I short or is he gigantic? Or is it both?_

“Daddy this is Krillin one of Goku’s friends,” Chichi said stepping in and closing the door. “Krillin this is my father Ox-king.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Krillin said with a quick bow.

“So you’re Krillin! Goku told me all about you!” Ox-king bellowed. “And any friend of Goku’s is a friend of mine!”

Before he knew it Krillin found himself gripped in a bear hug.

_He’s a friendly one_ Krillin thought as his back cracked under the pressure.

“What brings you here? I figured you, Master Roshi, and Goku would be talking about the old days until tomorrow,” said Ox-king.

“Well…something happened.”

Ox-king stopped moving and released Krillin from the hug after hearing the seriousness in his voice.

“What happened? Is there something wrong?”

Krillin looked at the wooden floor wishing he could just sink into it.

“Can I have some water?” He asked looking at Chichi.

“Of course.” The young mother answered and walked to the kitchen.

Krillin took this time to look around the inside of the house and saw it was even nicer on the inside. If he had to give a word it would be “warm”. The little home on 439 East District was warm.

“Here you go.” Said Chichi, handing Krillin a small cup of water.

“Thanks.” Said Krillin, drinking slowly.

“So what happened?” said Ox-king almost afraid.

Krillin finished his drink and looked down at the empty glass.

_Goku…help me._

* * *

 

He was done. Everything had been explained to the best of his ability. Ox-king had laughed when Krillin described Raditz and the news he brought thinking it was a joke. But as Krillin continued his story unchanged by the giant’s laughter the man began to realize that this was no joke. When Krillin had finished the three of them sat there in their respected seats and said nothing. Throughout the story, Krillin had been looking at the floor unable to make eye contact with his audience. Now that he was done Krillin slowly lifted his head to look at Chichi.

“I…”

Krillin started hoping to say something reassuring but his voice died when he locked eyes with his best friend’s wife. Krillin hadn’t noticed when Chichi had started crying but she must have remained silent on purpose as if not to show any weakness. She was grabbing at her dress so hard her knuckles were white and she was trembling in her chair. He could see the struggle in her eyes as the princess tried to battle the tears hoping to maintain some sort of dignity. She failed. Falling into her lap Chichi began to openly weep.  The small martial artist unable to relieve his best friend's wife of her grief watched her cry.

“Chi…”

Ox-king began reaching out to his daughter but before he could Chichi stood up out of her chair and ran from the kitchen. This broke the Ox-king’s heart. Krillin saw that but he made no move to go after her. Perhaps he wanted to give her space or he himself didn’t have the strength but regardless the two men now sat in the kitchen, alone.

“An alien…”

Krillin’s flinched at the Ox-king’s voice but said nothing in response.

“My daughter married…an alien?”

Krillin said nothing as this was the topic he feared the most. Goku was not born on Earth he was, by all means, an invader that came to this world to destroy it. It was only through a stroke of luck did he change into the hero he was.

_He’s still Goku no matter where he came from I need them to understand that. If they don’t, then even if we do win against the saiyans. Goku won’t have a home to come back to._

“Ox-king you must under-”

“Well, love does works in mysterious ways!”

Krillin was cut off half way but he didn’t mind in the least he was more surprised at the Ox-king’s response.

“Um…sir?”

“I suppose that explains the tail of his when he was a kid and why Gohan was born with one too! And his appetite certainly isn’t of this world; he can out-eat me after all!”

The bear of a man threw back his head in laughter and the whole house shook.

_He’s…he’s taking this surprisingly well_

“So can I guess that you and Master Roshi are going to wish Goku back?”

“Uh, yeah I mean…this is the first time Goku has died…so he can be brought back.”

“Wonderful!” The Ox-king exclaimed, “And I suppose with his help you guys are going to knock these saiyans back to whatever planet they came from, right?”

“Uh yeah that’s…that’s the plan.”

“Great! And when that’s done Gohan can come home! It’ll only be a year I’m sure the time will fly by!”

The King began to laugh again his hearty voice filling the tiny kitchen. Krillin wanted to smile, he really did. He wanted to laugh with the man and join him on his positive outlook, but he could tell. The King of Fire Mountain was broken inside. He had fooled him for a moment but looking again Krillin could see that the king was fighting back the tears just as his daughter had.

 “I’m sorry.”

The Ox-king’s laughter slowed and stopped as his eyes connected with Krillin’s and the smile fell from his face.

“Before…before he died Goku…Goku asked me to protect Gohan and Chichi from harm. And…I…I failed. So…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.”

Krillin’s gaze fell to the floor again and he found himself trembling. It wasn’t until he felt a hand bigger than his head rest on his back did he have the courage to meet the eyes of the Ox-king.

“It’s all right Krillin. Chichi will need some time but once Goku gets back everything will be alright again.”

_No, it’s not all right. We don’t know what will happen in the future. Goku wasn’t strong enough to beat Raditz he had to sacrifice himself just to win. The saiyans that are coming are even stronger than that. For this fight, I can’t just rely on Goku like always._

“Ox-king… right now I’m too weak to do anything and I might even die in this upcoming fight.”

**Pl…please take care…of Gohan…for me.**

“But I made a promise to my friend and I intend to keep it. I’m…I’m going to get stronger. I’m going to get stronger so that no one else has to lose the people they love.”

**You’re too weak.**

“I’ll bring Gohan home. I swear it.”

**If you want to protect this kid, then fight. Fight until you die human.**

“I swear it on my life.”

* * *

 

“How did it go?”

Krillin didn’t say anything as the door to Kame House closed behind him. But that was good enough for the turtle hermit, as he too grew quiet. The monk took off his jacket that held the two dragonballs Goku had collected and threw them on the couch. Out of the corner of his eye, Krillin noticed Bulma sitting at the table.

_Thought she would have gone home by now._

The small martial artist walked over to the table curious as what the young genius was working on. Only to have Bulma’s backhand smash him in the face.

“Back off old man! I’m working here!”

Krillin wasn’t expecting the blow and grasped his face with both hands hoping his cut wouldn’t start bleeding again.

“Ow.”

“Oh, Krillin! I’m sorry I thought you were the old pervert.” Said Bulma getting up from her chair. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Krillin said shaking his head to wipe away the pain. “What are you working on?”

“Well, I’m taking apart the device Raditz was wearing.” Said Bulma as she picked up a random piece of the machine she had ripped off.

“So we could find the others right?”

“Not only that but Piccolo mentioned this thing being able to detect power levels remember? With this thing, we can determine just how strong you would be in a fight just by looking.” Bulma said almost bursting with excitement.

“That’s great Bulma.” Said Krillin. He wanted to mention that he and the other fighters wouldn’t need something like that as they could already sense a person’s strength without any type of machine. But he figured the young genius just wanted to work on something if just to keep her busy.

The monk looked back to his master to see him glued to his TV usually he would be drooling over a televised bikini contest or something but this time the old man was content with just watching the news.

_Everyone deals with grief differently._

Sighing to himself Krillin decided to call it a night. Walking upstairs Krillin opened the door to his bedroom and sighed again.

_I’m home._

Looking at the tiny room that he spent a good chunk of his life in Krillin couldn’t help but feel a little dejected. While he shared the Kame House he, Master Roshi, and turtle each had their own place to sleep so to him this was his true home. However, he couldn’t help but compared his place to the home he had just visited. Looking again his room now felt empty and cold.

_Makes sense, there’s no family waiting for me here._

Shaking his head to get rid of the thought Krillin threw off his clothes and slid into bed. He normally never went to sleep naked but was too tired to actually care. He just wanted to go to sleep and forget this day ever happened.

_But it did happen and I’m going to have to live with the fact that this time next year I might be dead. And this time I won’t be able to come back._

* * *

 

“Krillin!”

Despite hearing Bulma call his name Krillin figured he had at least another hour before it was 4:30 so he pretended to be asleep hoping the blue-haired genius would just go away.

“Get up lazy head! I have to show you something!”

This only made Krillin crawl deeper into his soft bed.

“Fine if you don’t want to get up then I’ll just push you out of bed!”

Remembering that he was naked under his covers the monk bloated upright to avoid any humiliation.

“I’m up! I’m up!”

“Good then come downstairs I got the scouter working.”

“What’s a scouter?” Krillin yawned.

“It’s the name of the machine I was working on yesterday. Now come on I already got the old pervert and turtle up.”

“I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Great! But if you go back to sleep I’ll be back.”

And with that Krillin was alone again. He shook his head and slid out of bed. He wasn’t happy about waking up an hour earlier as he felt like he didn’t get any sleep at all. But at least he didn’t have to start the day being naked in front of his friend.

_She'd probably hit me, even though it would be her fault._

Shaking his head again Krillin threw on a fresh pair of gi and made his way downstairs. Before he even made it to the ground floor he could already hear Master Roshi and Bulma arguing about something.

“I just don’t understand why you had to shoot me. Where did you even get a gun anyway?”

“It doesn’t matter. And if I’m going to stay up all night fixing something you’ll do well to avoid sleeping in front of me.”

By the sound of it, Bulma was a little beyond testy and Krillin figured it was in his best interest to listen to the young Brief as closely as possible.

“There you are Krillin, now we can get started.”

Taking a seat on the couch the young monk noticed the dark rings under turtle’s eyes and how slowly his master moved. Bulma was standing in front of them already wearing the scouter as she called it.

_Looks like I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get any sleep._

“All right let’s go, guys, we don’t have all day,” Bulma said her voice little weaker than usual.

 “Go where?” said Master Roshi while standing up.

“I’m going to try this baby out, make sure it works well enough. I switched the readings to our own numeric system, so I’ll be able to tell you the number of your personal power level.”

Bulma began to press different buttons and the machine sprang to life making the same noises it did when Raditz had used it.

“Let’s start with you old man.”

Looking at the turtle hermit the machine began to beep even faster and louder than before. After a moment’s pause, Bulma spoke up.

“139.”

“139?”

“It’s a reading of your personal power level.”

“That seems a little low to me.” Master Roshi said

“No, I’m sure it’s a good score, considering you’re an old man.”

“I don’t know what hurts more, the lousy power rating or the commentary that goes with it.” The turtle hermit sighed as he sat back down on the couch.

While Krillin was sure that Master Roshi didn’t really care what his power level was and would simply forget in an hour, he had to agree with the old man. 139 did seem rather low.

_It is true he has been lazing around lately and it’s been a few years he fought anyone at all. But only 139, how high does this thing go?_

“Krillin it’s your turn.”

“Right.” He said positioning himself in front of Bulma. Again the scouter began beeping wildly as the young genius looked over Krillin with a critical eye.

“206, not bad.”

Krillin couldn’t stop the smile that covered his face.

_So I’m stronger than my master huh?_

“This thing can also find power levels all over the world and tell you right where they are.”

Bulma pushed another series of buttons and the scouter’s beeps became more focused.

“There’s a power level of 250 about 3000 kilometers away. Who could that be?”

“That’s gotta be Tien,” Krillin answered.

“A 177 over there.” Bulma continued pointing to the West.

“I’m guessing Yamcha.” Master Roshi said still sitting on the couch.

_Guess I’m stronger than Yamcha too._ Krillin grinned.

Suddenly the scouter beeped loudly and Bulma turned her head to the East.

“And… a… 329?! B-But who?”

Krillin could feel his good mood die; he didn’t even need to think about whose power level that was.

“That’s Piccolo.”

His voice was cold and full of hate. Bulma was about to say something but Master Roshi grabbed her hand to stop her. The three said nothing for a moment.

“Anyway.” said Bulma “With this thing we’ll be able to find Yamcha and the others no problem. Then we can split up and find the rest of the dragonballs, we’ll be able to wish Goku back no problem!”

Krillin had to smile at the bit of news with Goku around things were sure to at least feel a little better.

_It’ll be just like the good old days. Goku and me training together, getting ready for a big fight, what’s not to love?_

“Yo!”

The unfamiliar voice broke Krillin’s daydream and rang through the Kame House. Its residents paused and looked at each other.

_Is that a voice or a falling log?_

“Were you expecting anybody?” Bulma asked.

“Not that I know of.” Said Master Roshi.

“I said, yo!”

Seeing that no one else was doing anything Krillin walked over to the door and opened it. A rather round man sporting a katana and wearing orange gi welcomed him.

“Bout time.”

“Oh, you’re the one who was at Korin’s place.”

_What was his name again?_ “Um…itchy robe?”

“It’s Yajirobei!”

“Right, sorry” Krillin laughed

Yajirobei scoffed “This is a stupid place for a house, Korin didn’t tell me it gonna take so long t’find ya!”

“Korin? What does he want?”

 “He told me to tell you that everybody needs to get over there now.”

“Everybody?”

“Yeah, you, that Yam guy, Ten something, and that Chao whatever.”

“Everybody at Korin’s? Why?”

“Krillin who’s at the door?” said Master Roshi

“It’s…what’s your name again?”

“Yajirobei!”

“Well what does he want?” said Master Roshi as he and Bulma joined Krillin

“Everybody at Korin’s.”

“Why?”

“I was about to tell you!” Yajirobei shouted his patience gone. “Kami’s going to train us, me too.”

Krillin almost stumbled. _Kami? As in the same guy who trained Goku so he could beat Piccolo? As in God?_

“Yeah I said I didn’t want to fight those whaddya-callem aliens, but Korin-"

“We’ll be there!”

Yajirobei raised an eyebrow he wasn’t used to being cut off or seeing someone so desperate.

“We’ll all be there.” Krillin continued

“All right, I did what I was s’posed ta, later.”

The swordsman turned away and started walking toward his air car.

“Oh ya, Korin also said don’t bring Goku back to life till the bad guys are here.”

“What? Why?” Bulma shouted

“Something about training in hell. Ask the old witch.”

Without another word, Yajirobei jumped into his car and took off leaving the three friends behind.

“T-training in hell?”

Krillin wanted to believe that Yajirobei was kidding; he was still coming to terms with more saiyans coming to fight. Now his best friend is training in the afterlife? That’s insane. But before he could put any more thought into the idea he was brought back by his Master’s hearty laugh.

“Even when he’s dead he can’t stop, can he? That’s my student!”

The old man threw his head back and laughed even harder. Soon he was joined by Bulma and Krillin, it was the first time the three of them had laughed since Goku had passed.

“So you’ll go to Kami?” Master Roshi asked after they had all calmed down.

“It’s not like I have a choice right? I mean the saiyans are coming, either way, might as well try to get ready for them.”

Krillin looked out at the ocean and sat down on the beach.

“I should call Chichi; tell her that Goku’s not coming back until the fight.”

“I’ll do that,” Bulma said while sitting down next to him. “You’ve done enough.”

“Thanks.”

The three friends said nothing for a bit, only the noise of the rushing waves kept them from complete silence.


	4. First Step

_4:30_

Though he didn’t have a clock Krillin knew the time of day, it was because he was awake. Sloshing himself out of bed the monk dragged himself to the cabinet he had picked to store his clothes.

_Even above the clouds, I can’t escape my master’s training. One of these days I’m going to have to learn how to sleep in._

He had been living at Kami’s lookout for the past two months and felt like he had finally adjusted to it.

_Not that anyone can blame me. Not only do you have to get used to just breathing this whole place is just floating in the sky!_

Picking out some weighted gi that seemed cleaner than the rest Krillin threw it on his bed and went to take a shower. He still didn’t know where the water was coming from but all thoughts ceased once the hot water hit his tired body. Washed and dressed the monk opened his door and made his way outside, the rest of the lookout still quiet with sleep.

_All right, let’s go_

After his fight with Piccolo Krillin had reinvented the basics into a true training regimen, no longer did he keep track of his punches, kicks, or pushups. He just threw himself at whatever felt like he needed to improve and would practice until the sun disappeared.

_Which is all well and good but this isn’t anything I couldn’t do alone. What’s the point of training under God if he won’t teach you anything?_  Following up a punch with a flip Krillin growled softly to himself. _I’m not getting any stronger._

“First one up again I see.”

Krillin stopped a kick and turned to see Tien walking towards him.

“I blame Master Roshi’s training.”

“Was it really that bad?”

“You have no idea.”

 The three-eyed fighter shrugged. “I don’t doubt it. Nothing a quick spar can’t fix, you up for it?”

“We have to get stronger somehow right?”

This was Krillin’s new routine at Kami’s lookout. Always the first awake he would train alone until Tien arrived. At first, their spars would be completely one-sided, as Tien never stopped training even after the Tournament. It was only recently that Krillin was able to get a feel for his movements and habits while fighting. Even then he could just barely keep up with his friend. After Tien Chiaotzu would be next followed by Yamcha. By nine the three fighters would practice alone or together honing their skills for the coming battle. Yajirobi would wake up at noon. They had yet to receive any instruction from Mr. Popo or Kami and it was beginning to wear on the fighters.

Most of the day had passed when Mr. Popo and Kami approached the fighters the pair looking as just as strange and alien as when Krillin first saw them.

 “Kami will see all of you now.” Said Mr. Popo capturing the attention of all the fighters.

 It was scary how similar Kami looked to Piccolo. Aside from the wrinkles, they looked completely identical.

_Well, they are the same person. Or something like that._

“You have all trained hard for the past two months.” Said Kami. “It is good to see that the fate of the world rests in the hands of such capable warriors.”

“Hey, Kami,” Krillin called, his patience with the guardian nearing its end. “I don’t mean to be rude but we aren’t really learning anything. You know, new.”

There was a glint in Kami’s eye as he looked over the bald warrior.

_Wait; did I say something I wasn’t supposed to?_

“He’s right.” Said Yamcha, “So far you haven’t taught a damn thing, we’re wasting our time here, why invite us if we aren’t doing anything we couldn’t do on our own?”

_Sheesh and I thought I was upset._

“We want to be as strong as Goku was when he trained here. “ Yamcha continued.

“I must agree Kami we don’t have much time and just sparing won’t cut it,” said Tien, Chiaotzu quickly hovering to his side.  “Why won’t you train us as you did Goku?”

Kami said nothing as he looked over the fighters with a close eye.

“Very well, listen carefully then.”

The group nodded and moved closer.

“In regards to Goku’s training.”

The group moved closer.

“I taught him…”

They moved even closer.

“Absolutely nothing!”

Then they all fell down together.

_Did God just make a joke?_

He did. What’s more is that he then walked away laughing as if it the funniest thing in the world, even Mr. Popo chuckled a little.

“Hey! What did he mean by that?” Yamcha yelled as he heaved himself up.

“Who knows?” Said Yajirobei finally joining the rest. “If this camp wasn’t free I’d be out of here, food here snot that great either.”

“Mr. Popo we all know Goku received training from here. Why can’t you tell us what it was?’ Yamcha said his hand becoming a fist.

Mr. Popo said nothing.

“We’re just trying to get stronger Mr. Popo I thought you and Kami called us here for a reason?” Krillin knew how pathetic he sounded and he didn’t like begging to be trained, he had done enough of that with Master Roshi. But he felt like he hadn’t improved at all in the past two months and Tien was right, time was running out.

Mr. Popo slowly closed his eyes and said slowly. “To become truly strong you must know yourself and your enemy. Once you know this all will become clear.”

_But I already know both my enemy and myself._ Krillin shuddered as he recalled his experience with Raditz. _I know that all saiyans are heartless monsters who are better off dead._

“Don’t give us that crap! How could we not know ourselves! I know myself better than anybody!” said Yamcha.

“Oh is that a fact?” Mr. Popo said with a smirk. “So you know yourself do you? How come you don’t know that you are weak?”

Krillin flinched but didn’t say anything.

 “Oh really?! I’m weak huh?!” the hotheaded fighter yelled while taking a step towards Mr. Popo. “Why don’t you prove it you beach-“

Yamcha never got to finish his sentence as Mr. Popo punched him in the face and watched him fly backward before he landed on his back with a dull thud.

“As I thought,” Said Mr. Popo slowly. “Weak.”

Nobody moved as Yamcha got back on his feet holding his bleeding nose.

“Cheap shot.”

“Perhaps,” Mr. Popo answered coldly. “But someone truly strong doesn’t need to fight with his mouth.”

Krillin wasn’t surprised that Yamcha acted rashly; he’s never been one to try to understand a situation, always trying to force his way through everything never taking a second to think about it.

_I wouldn’t say he’s stupid but apparently, he’s dumb enough to cheat on Bulma._

What did surprise Krillin was the speed at which Yamcha was floored. Despite having a big mouth Yamcha was a powerful fighter who should be able to see a punch like that coming.

 “Now then, all of you follow me.” Said Mr. Popo

Without a word, the fighters followed the mysterious guardian deeper into the lookout.

“Hey, you okay?” Krillin asked his bleeding friend.

“Yeah, guy’s stronger then he looks.”

“You could say that again.”

The group walked in the direction of their respected rooms but when they arrived a door that Krillin didn’t recognize had appeared on the wall.

“Hey, Tien was that door always there?” Chiaotzu asks floating closer to him.

Mr. Popo chuckled as he opened the door.

Inside was a circular room was a red glowing circle in the middle. The circle was filled with some many patterns and symbols that Krillin couldn’t even begin to guess their meaning. Above the circle was a long pendulum swinging back and forth as if they were standing inside a giant clock.

“Where are we?” Tien asked the first to find his voice.

“We are in a place where the past, present, and future are mixed.” Mr. Popo said calmly.

“Mixed?”

“To put it simply time and space have no meaning here.”

“How is that possible? All we did was walk through a door!” said Krillin refusing to believe anything so outlandish.

“Despite what you might think this room can achieve the impossible. When Goku was with us most of his training took place in this room.”

That caught the attention of the fighters. In an instant, the room was heavy with tension as each martial artist wondered what kind of training they had in store.

“I hope you are prepared for this.” Said Mr. Popo

“We are,” Tien answered.

The rest nodded.

“Well, have fun then,” said Yajirobei as he started to walk away. “I’m a lot of different things. But I ain’t no guinea pig.”

The fat samurai walked to a corner where he sat down and started munching on the bag of chips he seemed to have an endless supply of.

“Those of you that wish to go, step inside the circle please.”

Without a word Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin stepped into the red circle without any hesitation.

“Gentlemen I can only recommend that you see with your heart. Now close your eyes.”

The group did so without question.

“The next time you awaken your life will be in grave danger. If you wish to survive, you must fight.”

Krillin stiffened, his nerves getting the best of him.

“I wish you luck gentlemen.”

For a moment nothing happened and Krillin began to think this was another one of Kami’s jokes. His fears vanished when the floor beneath him began to glow and the pendulum above them increased in speed. Even with their eyes closed the martial artists could see a bright flash of light envelope them.

_At this point just sparing doesn’t seem like such a bad idea._

It wasn’t long before Krillin felt the sensation of falling a short distance before landing on some unfamiliar ground. Slowly opening their eyes the fighters realized that wherever they were they were clearly no longer on Earth. They were in the middle of a battlefield with the battle long over. The area was dead with buildings collapsed or crumbled. The ground was uneven and crushed the battle so intense it must have shaken the very planet to its core. The sky itself was a dark eerie red.

“Where are we?” Chiaotzu asked, his fears making his voice waver.

“Don’t know but there’s been some serious fighting going on,” Yamcha replied as he looked around.

“This place is demolished. Do you think there are any survivors?” Said Krillin.

“By the look of things, no, but we should keep our eyes open anyway.” Said Tien his three eyes surveying the area.

Something behind the warriors fell with a thump and all four whirled around in surprise.

“It’s…it’s a body.”

“Not just anybody,” said Krillin bending down to get a closer look. “This armor is just like the one Raditz was wearing when he arrived on the island. And look at this.”

“A tail.” Chiaotzu squeaked.

“Just like Goku.”

“This is a saiyan?’

“Was,” replied Krillin standing up. “This only means that whatever killed it is strong, really strong.”

“Do…do you think it’s still here?” Chiaotzu asked floating even closer to Tien.

“Not sure, but we should start moving maybe we’ll find something.”

The group nodded and started walking into the broken battlefield.

“What a battle this must have been,” Yamcha said slowly as he started at a hundred more skeletons all wearing the same armor and tail as the first corpse. “Look at all these saiyans. Too bad we missed all the action.”

“Mr. Popo must have been off on his calculations. I don’t think there’s anyone else here.” Said Tien

“There’s bound to be a few saiyans left we’ll just look around until we find some.”

While he was glad his friends were so eager for battle Krillin wasn’t sure he liked their attitude toward their opponents. _Mr. Popo said our lives were going to be in danger right from the start. But they are treating this like it’s a walk in the park. Don’t they remember that Goku was killed just fighting one?_

“Krillin?”

Chiaotzu’s question brought the monk out of his thoughts.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine Chiaotzu.”

The small martial artist floated closer to Krillin. “I’m scared too.”

“Scared?” Yamcha said overhearing the two. “There’s no reason to be scared I can handle a saiyan with both hands tied behind my back.”

The longhaired warrior laughed but Krillin silently gritted his teeth. Raditz’s voice and the image of Goku’s body flashed through his mind. He had to shake his head to fight off the memories.

_I won’t let my friends die this time._

* * *

 

As the group walked deeper into the devastated territory the sense of foreboding began to weigh down on Krillin.

_Weird, I should have sensed something by now._

But he didn’t. And from the look of things, this planet has been dead for a long time now.

“We might as well go back,” Tien said as he stared up into the blood red sky. “I don’t think we are going to find anyone else here.”

“Any idea on how we do that?” Krillin asked.

“Good point, Mr. Popo didn’t say anything about leaving.”

“Well, there’s no point in leaving if we didn’t even get the chance to fight!” Yamcha shouted. “I bet those saiyans are too scared to come out and fight!” His voice echoed across the ruined landscape challenging anyone to deny its claims.

“No,” Krillin said slowly. “You have no idea what the saiyans are like.” The monk finally had enough of Yamcha’s giant ego.

“What?” Yamcha said as if he had been insulted.

“The saiyans aren’t afraid of fighting; they crave it more than anything else. And if there are any saiyans on this planet then we’re dead.”

“Krillin, I think you’re overacting.” Tien started.

“No! You don’t get it!”

The outburst echoed just as Yamcha’s had earlier.

“One saiyan killed Goku! Goku! The strongest guy on the planet! Even with Piccolo helping him they just barely won! What are we supposed to do huh? What hope do we even have?”

“None.”

Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien whirled around to see two men standing before them. One was short and stubby while the other tall and lean. They were wearing the same armor as the many skeletons that decorated the battlefield. Donning their left eyes were devices that Krillin instantly recognized as the Bulma named scouter. Across their waists were tails tied together like a belt. And held by the head with one arm was Chiaotzu who seemed oddly still.

“CHIAOTZU!” Tien roared smashing his hands together to make a triangle.

The saiyans must have guessed this was an attack as before Tien could even begin to gather energy the short one shot an energy beam that collided with the three-eyed warrior sending him into the air. The blast slammed Yamcha and Krillin into their backs, the ground underneath them crumbling under their weight.

“Don’t need any of that now, do we?” The tall one said throwing the limb body of Chiaotzu to the ground.

“CHIAOTZU!” Tien shouted as he rushed to his fallen friend.

Krillin was horrified because he already knew what Tien was confirming. He had sensed his friend’s energy disappear as soon as he had hit the ground.

“He’s dead.”

Krillin could feel his stomach clench in fear and sorrow. But he knew his pain was nothing compared to the loss Tien felt.

“You killed him.” Tien continued.

“Wasn’t hard,” the short one said. “Neck snapped like a twig.”

“The little thing’s power level was so low he wasn’t even worth the fight.”

“Anyway,” the taller one said stepping forward. “Name’s Scarface and this here’s Shorty.”

“Pleasure.”

“All right introductions out of the way, we’re going to kill you now.”

Tien was on them in an instant his face twisted with rage.

“Tien!” Krillin screamed but his friend wasn’t listening.

Tien attacked with a punch and then a kick, both were dodged easily. Scarface stopped any more attacks with a backhand that almost ripped his head off. Tien was launched towards Shorty who dug his heel into the three-eyed fighter’s back. Before he could react at all to the beating Shorty grabbed Tien and forced him into a chokehold as he began to generate energy into his prey’s skull. Tien’s flesh began to sizzle and Krillin wanted to shut his eyes as he heard his friend scream.

 “Come on, come on.”

Krillin looked to his right to see Yamcha gathering energy into his hand.

“Yes!” A small ball of ki floating harmlessly up and down formed in Yamcha’s hand.

The longhaired fighter threw the energy ball with a shout, which caught the saiyan’s attention. However, the tailed killers showed no signs of movement even as the dense ball of ki screamed towards them.

Which is exactly what Yamcha wanted them to do, raising two fingers the spirit ball shot upwards with the saiyan’s stares still following it. Seeing an opportunity Tien thrust his head backward smashing his head against Shorty’s nose leaving the saiyan stunned. Tien jumped for cover as Yamcha brought his two fingers plunging to the ground. The sphere of energy shot down landing between the two saiyans before it detonated covering the two in dense, deadly energy.

“YEAH!” Yamcha celebrated as the blast kicked up a cloud of smoke.

Krillin who had been unable to move finally regained his senses and ran toward his wounded friend.

“Tien! Are you okay?”

“Fine, but…” He trailed off after that and Krillin didn’t blame him.

“Come on.” Throwing his arm over his shoulder Krillin lifted Tien to his feet.

“Are they, dead?” Tien asked as the pair walked over to Yamcha.

“Of course they are.” The cocky fighter said with a smirk. “I’m the best aren’t I?”

“I sincerely hope not.”

The three humans looked towards the recently created crater to see the two saiyans completely unharmed.

“At best that tickled.” Scarface finished.

Krillin’s head began spinning and he nearly dropped his friend.

“That…that was everything I had,” Yamcha said his voice shaking.

Tien using his own strength stood up and again forced his hands together making a triangle. Ki crackled around his hands and with a scream the energy poured out of him firing at the saiyans.

“NOW!” Tien ordered.

Yamcha and Krillin responded acting more in desperation and fear than anything else. The two let their auras flare before gathering as much energy as they could withstand. Krillin adopted the stance he practiced every morning at the Kame House his ki building a blue sphere in the palm of his two hands. Too nervous to say the words Krillin just thrust his hands forward releasing the beam of blue towards the saiyans. Yamcha added his strength by throwing in what energy he had left. The combined energy resulted in an explosion that devastated the very ground they were standing on. Throwing up his arms to protect himself from the blast Krillin stood his ground as a wave of dust showered him.

_Is it over?_

Looking around Krillin saw that the saiyans had vanished; the crater now deeper than before was empty. Walking over to the deep hole he was joined by Tien and Yamcha both drained but still standing.

“Looks like that did it,” Yamcha said never taking his eyes off the saiyans resting place.

Krillin wanted to believe that but he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. _Then again perhaps Raditz was just a super strong saiyan. These guys could have been weaker than him. Maybe Kami put us here to tell us to have more confidence?_

“Chiaotzu,” Tien said softly.

“Don’t worry about it, Tien. We can just wish him back when we get back to Earth.” Yamcha said slapping the three-eyed fighter on the back.

“Even if we were to get back and I see no way of doing that. Chiaotzu already died once. He can’t be brought back again.”

“Oh…right, sorry.”

“At least we avenged him.”

 Krillin looked away and closed his eyes. _This is just like Goku I’m still too weak to do anything. Poor Chiaotzu, no one should have to die like that._ Clapping his hands together the monk bowed his head. _Rest in peace._

Krillin wanted to take a moment to reflect on Chiaotzu and their friendship. But that moment was robbed from him when he felt a wave of killing intent coming directly beneath them. His eyes ripping open he barely had enough time to turn to his friends and scream.

“RUN!”

The ground under them erupted in a massive outpouring of energy. Krillin lost sight of Tien and Yamcha as he was thrown clear of the blast. Landing on his back he had to scramble to find upright and get a sense of what happened.

“Would you look at that Shorty? I think we killed them.”

“That’d be a shame Scarface. If they died now how will they tell us where this Earth is?”

Krillin took a step back as his fear began stealing the air from his lungs. The saiyans were floating above the three humans looking down. And despite the effort put into killing them once again, the two appeared as if they were completely unharmed.

_They’re…they’re just toying with us._

“That’s not going to happen!”

Yamcha yelled as he and Tien flew towards Shorty and Scarface.

“You’re going to pay for what you did to Chiaotzu!”

“Who?” Scarface asked.

“The small one whose neck you snapped,” Shorty answered.

“Oh, are they still on that?”

Tien screamed something Krillin couldn’t understand and the two charged the saiyans,

_They can’t win._

Krillin thought as he remained on the ground watching the fight above him.

_They can’t win. They can’t win they can’t win they can’t they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win they can’t win._

He knew that he had to join the battle. That he had to help his friends fight. But just as when Raditz appeared on that fateful day two months ago Krillin was afraid for his life. He watched as Yamcha went up against Shorty the small saiyan outclassing him in every way. Blocking and evading every attack the longhaired human tried it was all too easy for Shorty to throw an attack of his own. A straight punch aimed at his chest that was too fast for Yamcha to defend against. When the punch hit him dead on Shorty’s fist kept going straight through with enough force to pierce and rip the bandit’s chest open. Yamcha immediately went into shock his body failing him entirely. When Shorty pulled his arm out Yamcha died as he fell out of the sky.  

“NO!” Krillin screamed.

His cry caught the attention of Tien who turned to see Yamcha’s last moments.

“Aw Shorty, you broke him.”

“Not my fault, I gave him a little love tap and he fell to pieces.”

Krillin’s knees gave out and he found himself staring at the broken and charred ground of the battlefield.

_I’m going to die._

“DAMN YOU!”

Krillin heard Tien scream as his friend shot towards Scarface.

“TIEN STOP!” He begged, hoping at least the two of them get away, but his cry went unheard. 

The battle was a slaughter as every attack Tien made was countered with a blow that had three times the force behind it. Krillin did nothing as he watched his sparring partner beaten and twisted to the point where just staying afloat couldn’t be done. Dropping to the ground Tien collapsed onto his hands and knees unable to stand.

“TIEN!” Krillin shouted as he ran towards his broken friend.

But he stopped as the two saiyans landed just a few feet away. They didn’t seem too even notice and kept their sights on Tien alone.

“Honestly, I’m a little disappointed. I thought they would be a little more fun.” Scarface sighed.

“At least yours didn’t give out after a punch.”

“Either way he’s done now.”

The monk was shaking and it hadn’t even occurred to him that he had stopped breathing.

“Krillin.”

Barely able to hear the whisper Krillin slowly locked eyes with his dear friend.

“Run.” It was the last word Tien spoke before a beam of purple flashed through the air pierced his heart and stopped his life. His corpse leaned forward and fell facedown into the dirt.

_It’s not fair._

As he felt the sting of tears start to burn in his eyes this thought repeated in his head again and again. To die on a planet he didn’t even know possibly a million miles away from home, his friends dead their killers ready to hunt him next.

_It’s not fair._

Two months ago he was worried about how much Goku would eat during his visit and what it would cost him. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

_It’s not fair._

He stared at what was once a martial artist named Tien and wasn’t surprised when he felt the uncontrollable urge to scream. But there would be no answer to his cries though as the powerful human fell to knees and faded away.

_It’s not fair._

“Looks like we broke another one Shorty.”

“Didn’t even have to touch this one.”

Krillin’s wails were cut short as he watched the two saiyans slowly walk towards. His mind recognizing the danger started to contemplate a thousand ways to escape, different ways he could try, avoiding death and harm entirely. Scrabbling to his feet almost dragging himself away Krillin showed the saiyans his back and looked to the red sky. He didn’t care where he was going just as long as it was away from the saiyans. Away from death.

**If something were to ever happen to me. Could you watch over Gohan and Chichi for me?**

It was the words of his best friend that stopped him. Already a few inches off the ground ready to fly as fast and as far as he could, Krillin stopped.

**Fight, fight until you die human.**

Piccolo rang in his head. Though still harsh and unforgiving he seemed appropriate now.

**I’ll bring Gohan home. I swear it.**

His own words, carrying the same weight they did when he first spoke them.

**The world isn’t always fair to those that want to do the right thing.**

Next the words of his master, he felt shame as he landed. Though still unable to cope with the loss of his friends he began to remember the reasons he was here in the first place.

_To become strong. Strong enough to keep my promise._

Still shaking Krillin slowly turned back to face the saiyans who had yet to move since they murdered Tien.  

“I’m going to die.”

Despite only whispering it to himself the declaration shook him to his core. He could feel himself begin to shake even more.

 “Are you done yet?” Shorty said with a wild grin.

“You’ve kept us waiting boy,” Scarface said his tone playful.

“Not that we haven’t enjoyed watching you squirm around.”

“Tell you what, we’ll let you run and even give you a little head start.”

“That sounds like fun, but if we catch you you’re dead, okay?”

“Ready? Three, two, one, go.”

He caught them by surprise, Krillin knew that. He hadn’t magically gotten stronger or faster. But he couldn’t help but smile as his sucker punch collided with Shorty’s face and sent the saiyan flying into a pile of bones.

“Bastard!”

Scarface was on him in an instant with a blow that floored the monk. He followed up with a kick to Krillin’s ribs that not only broke two but also sent him skidding across the tattered battlefield.

“Shorty, you okay?”

“Little nothing got a lucky punch.” The saiyan said as he got to his feet, Krillin’s attack seeming to have no effect.

“I don’t know, looks like you’re slipping. Perhaps you’re not as good as you thought.” Scarface sneered.

“I’m still better than this insect! Worthless like the rest of them! He’s weak.”

“You’re right…I am weak.”

The two saiyans turned to watch Krillin struggle to his feet holding his ribs as if to stop them from falling out.

“I’m weak enough that all I want to do right now is run away.”

Finding his footing the monk stood up straight and kept his glare aimed at the aliens.

“I’m weak enough that I can’t even save my best friend’s son.”

Krillin forced himself into a stance.

“Despite that, I have to fight you. I have to try.”

Steeling both himself and his resolve Krillin crushed his shaking hands into fists.

“I made a promise.”

Silence draped over the broken land. Only to be broken by the laughter of the two saiyans.

“It seems like this one’s got some spirit,” Scarface chuckled. “Shorty, go and break it will you?”

“Gladly.”

The smaller saiyan threw himself towards his prey ready to attack. Shorty was fast, much faster than Piccolo who Krillin was unable to see, much less defend himself against.

_They are stronger than me, faster than me, and they know how to kill._

Unmoving in his stance Krillin stared Shorty down until the saiyan was on top of him.

_But they have a flaw._

Dodging the punch just barely the monk countered with his own smashing the alien’s face against his knuckles. Finishing the blow sent Shorty back into the pile of bones.

_They’re predictable._

While still grieving his friend’s deaths watching their fights had shown Krillin one thing, the saiyans had a pattern. The punch he had dodged was the same as the one that killed Yamcha. He had gambled his life on where the punch would go and he had won.

_They’re killers, not martial artists._

“I’ll kill you!”

Krillin flinched as the smaller saiyan screamed. Howling for his blood like an animal. Ignoring all rational thought Shorty again charged desperately for his life.

_I need some distance!_

Throwing a ball of energy to the ground Krillin jumped back and let the following explosion kick up a cloud of dust covering the battlefield.

_They can’t sense energy like I can either. Without their eyes they’re…_

“Found you.”

The words were a whisper but loud enough to freeze Krillin’s movements as he recognized Shorty’s voice.

_How?_

That was his last thought as pain exploded from his back and sent diving to the ground. Landing on his feet sent up the monk for a punch by Scarface that dug deep into the pit of his stomach. Seeing the taller saiyan smile as he felt more of his ribs shatter the Krillin fell to his knees and wasn’t surprised when the saiyan drove his foot into his nose shattering the bone. Landing on his back Krillin rolled to his feet and put his arms in defense.

“The smoke cloud was clever. But useless when we’ve got these.” Scarface said pointing to the left side of his face.

_The scouters!_

“That mistake will cost you an arm.” Shorty chuckled as he appeared to his side.

By the time Krillin had realized what happened, it was too late. Just a snap and the feeling of loss as his left arm was removed as easily as stepping on an ant. The pain was immediate and forced the monk back on his knees gripping the bloody stump. It wasn’t until he saw the blood smeared on his remaining hand did he scream, only to be silenced by another kick to the head.

“Always crying this one.”

Staying on his back Krillin looked up at the unfamiliar red sky, missing the comfort of blue.

_Get up._

It was a command to his body but while his spirit was still alive his body was not.

_Get up!_

His body twitched, which caused him more pain than he thought possible. But he no longer had the energy for anything.

 “Is he dead?”

“Can’t say.”

Krillin’s world began to spin as he felt himself being picked up by his bloodied shirt, his feet unable to touch the ground.

“He seems worse than he looks.”

“I find that hard to believe Shorty.”

Krillin’s head rolled forward as he made eye contact with Scarface.

“Well hello. Thought we lost you there for a minute.”

The saiyan got no answer.

“I must say the three of you have been rather disappointing. I was hoping for a better challenge.

“Four.” Shorty interrupted.

“What?”

“There were four of them.”

“Really?”

“Yes, there was the one with the hair, then the one with three eyes, the small one, and then this one.” Shorty finished by pointing to Krillin.

“I don’t remember the small one.”

“You snapped his neck.”

Scarface had a retort but was cut off as Krillin’s fist fell on his face He had planned to jump away to get some more room hoping for another opening to present itself. However, Scarface’s grip on his shirt never dropped, instead, the saiyan glared at his prisoner all humor gone from his eyes.

“That; was another mistake.”

Scarface slowly flattened his hand into a knife.

“Just for that, I’m going to jam this through you until it comes out the back of your skull. How does that sound?”

Krillin responded with a cough of blood.

“Good answer,” Scarface said before shoving his hand forward.

The saiyan’s strike came hard and fast but thankfully he had told Krillin exactly how he planned on killing him. This gave the human enough time to dodge the killing blow and jam his remaining hand into the saiyan’s mouth. Without a word, the monk gathered as much as he could and let it explode.

“MMMMPHMMHP!!”

The grip on his gi slipped and Krillin returned to the ground.

_Don’t pass out. Don’t. Pass. Out._

Scarface was still alive and had his hand over his mouth. But he was unable to keep blood from dripping out from between his fingers. Krillin saw his chance and knew he only had seconds before Shorty attacked. It wasn’t until his eyes saw Scarface’s tail wrapped around his waist like a belt did a memory bubble up from the depths of his mind. A memory from his childhood, a fight he lost against his best friend. Reaching out he grabbed the tail and squeezed. Scarface’s eyes grew wide and he fell to his side with a grunt his strength fading fast.

“You dare!” He coughed, his teeth dyed red.

Krillin said nothing but kept his fist clenched until he saw Shorty take a step forward.

“Don’t move!” He screamed, his own blood sputtering out of his mouth.

Shorty obeyed but Krillin knew he didn’t have long before the saiyan realized he was only stalling. With no energy and only one arm, Krillin had no way of attacking or defending.

“Kill him!”

Scarface’s shout surprised him and he stopped breathing when he saw Shorty moving towards him.

“I’m warning you take another step and I’ll rip it off!”

It was an empty threat. Krillin knew it would hurt as he remembered the time Goku’s tail was ripped off by his grandpa but had no idea where that would get him now. However, as he watched his saiyan captive’s face begin to pale Krillin started to feel more confident. It wasn’t until Scarface started to beg did Krillin realize what had happened.

“No! Don’t!”

He was in a position of power over the alien. With no strength the saiyan murderer was helpless and as long as he had his prisoner Shorty would be forced to stay his attack. Or so he thought. Slowly but with a grin on his face, Shorty took yet another step towards Krillin.

“I’m not kidding! I’ll do it!

But his threat was ignored as the saiyan started picking up the pace choosing his steps with purpose.

“If you take my tail weakling I will make you suffer!” Scarface screamed.

His confidence fading fast Krillin’s hold on Scarface’s tail became tighter. _He’s not stopping. Why isn’t he stopping?_ The monk knew he had to do something but was afraid of losing his shield.

“I’ll eat your skull maggot!” Scarface howled.

With his time running out Krillin needed to make a decision.

“I will-”

A purple beam cut through Scarface’s head, which stopped his words and his life. It took Krillin a second to realize that Scarface was dead and another to see Shorty standing there a dead grin on his face.

“You…you killed him.”

“So I did,” The remaining saiyan said uncaringly.

“Why?”

“To be captured by a half-dead man is an embarrassment to the saiyan race and we are a race of warriors, not embarrassments.”

Krillin said nothing and let the lifeless tail slide out of his hand and flop next to its deceased owner.

“I killed him because he wasn’t saiyan. Because just like you and your friends; he was weak. And the weak die.”

Lifting his hand to Krillin’s forehead Shorty’s grin grew.

“Having said that. Goodbye.”

Krillin felt Shorty’s blast wash over him and a second later, he was gone.


	5. Unfamiliar Friends

“Krillin.”

Hearing his name Krillin stirred, at first believing he had only misheard the call.

_Wait, I died. I shouldn’t be able to hear anything._

Slowly opening his eyes he could only gap as he saw the familiar pendulum swinging back and forth. He was back on Kami’s lookout in the room where the past, present, and future mixed.

_What? How?_

“Krillin.”

 Turning his head the monk came face to face with three corpses who were upright, walking, and breathing. Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha looked at him with concern while Krillin could only respond with shock. Hesitating he reached out with his right hand to his left arm which had been ripped out by the saiyans. He flinched when his hand landed on flesh and bone, his limb still intact.

“You were the last to open your eyes.” Said Yamcha

“What are you talking about? How did we get back?” Krillin said his voice shaking.

“Back?” Yajirobe interrupted “What do you mean back? You never left! You’ve just been standing around like a bunch of zombies! Do you know how bored I was?!”

_We never left?_

The realization was a cold one but sure enough, as Krillin looked around nothing had changed since his departure to another world. Almost quivering he flexed his left hand more frightened than relieved at the sensation.

_I didn’t die?_

“Only your physical bodies remained here.” Mr. Popo said catching Krillin’s attention instantly. “With the help of this room, your spirits were sent to a reflection of the past.”

“A reflection?” Tien said stepping forward. “So none of that actually happened?”

“Correct.”

“So you guys, how did it go?” Yajirobe said interrupting once more.

The question quieted the room as the four fighters stared at the each other or the floor unable to answer.

 “They did very well Yajirobe.”

Krillin’s head snapped up from the floor and focused on Kami his words easing the pressure Krillin felt.

“They fought valiantly against a very strong enemy.”

_That wasn’t a fight. It was a slaughter._

Krillin didn’t have to look at his friends to know they felt the same.

“However, I should mention to you all that the saiyans on their way to Earth are many times stronger than ones you just fought,” Kami said slowly.

A moment passed, then another. No one moved. No one breathed.

“Wait they're going to be even stronger?!” Yamcha chocked “Are you sure Kami?”

The guardian of Earth nodded and the room grew deathly still.

“I can certainly understand if any of you want to back out of this deal. Believe me, there would be no dishonor in doing so. But if you must leave go now because there will be no looking back for those of you that remain.”

Kami pointed to the door and Krillin found himself staring.

_It’d be so easy to just walk out and never look back._

It wasn’t the first time Krillin had thought this silently to himself. His fear of dying was still alive but the uncertainty and doubt he had about the fight ahead had diminished. Despite “dying” confronting the saiyans had reminded him why he was here. This was enough to make Krillin walk up to Kami and say.

“I’ll fight.”

Kami stared at the monk.

“Are you certain?”

“Not really. If I die again I’m not coming back. Honestly, I’d rather run, but this is my home and I don’t plan on giving it up without a fight.”

 “I couldn’t agree more,” said Tien stepping forward.

“I’m in too.” Said Chiaotzu

“Can’t say no to a good fight now can I?” Yamcha said with a wild grin. “We’ll stay in this room twenty-four seven if we have to. But we’ll beat those saiyans.”

Krillin looked at his friends standing next to him and smiled.

 “Well said.” Kami smiled. “However, you have all been through a great ordeal today. So I suggest you rest for now. Tomorrow we shall continue your training in this room once more.”

 “Understood!” The four martial artists shouted.

* * *

 

_Why am I still awake?_

Hours had passed since the fight and despite the exhaustion that followed Krillin remained awake staring at the ceiling. Even closing his eyes to the darkness did nothing and as the silence became more and more apparent the monk could take no more.

_Maybe some exercise will help_

Throwing on his gi Krillin slowly made his way to the door. He walked down the halls of the hideout, careful not to wake anyone. Before long he stood on the edge of the floating dome, the night sky his only companion.

_No need to go crazy, just the basics._

“Can’t sleep?”

The punch that was going to string into a series of kicks fell short as Krillin’s body jolted at the question that came from nowhere. Carefully turning around hoping the hideout wasn’t haunted the monk eyes locked with the guardian of the lookout.

“Kami!”

Before he could get another word out Kami quieted him with a wave.

“Don’t want to wake the others. Please, continue.”

Nodding, but feeling a little uncomfortable being watched Krillin proceeded with the basics, which he had refined to be more effective since his days back home. Soon the monk lost himself in his exercise. As he flowed from one strike to the next as if dancing Krillin could feel himself diving deeper into the heartbeat of martial arts.

“You did well today.”

Just like that the flow was broken. As well as Krillin’s footing as the monk tripped himself as his concentration slipped. He stayed on the ground for a moment before saying.

“You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t agree.”

“Why do you say that?” Kami responded.

“Well, I died for one.”

“That was the point of the exercise.”

“Dying?” Krillin asked as he stood up from the ground.

“Is that not a possibility in the coming fight?” Kami said.

That caught Krillin off guard.

“I guess you’re right. Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“The battle for Earth will be anything but easy my friend. The entire world is at stake you know.”

Krillin stiffened but met Kami’s knowing gaze with a stare of his own.

“I understand that.”

“Do you?” Kami shot back.

The monk flinched.

“This planet is home to billions of people. Every man, woman, and child are at risk of losing their lives. You and your friends are all that stands in the way of the saiyans wiping out humankind. Do you truly understand that if you fail your loved ones will be killed, humanity will be wiped from existence, and the very Earth will be destroyed? Can you accept that responsibility?”

 Krillin’s eyes went wide as he absorbed Kami’s words. The scale and scope of this fight finally becoming real.

“I…” Krillin said his voice quivering. “I can’t. It’s…it’s too much.”

 “Of course you can’t, you are only one human.”

Krillin looked back at Kami to see the green guardian smiling.

“Remember Krillin you aren’t alone in this. You have your friends to help you.”

The monk returned the smile but it was fleeting.

“I know that but even together we weren’t a match for two fake saiyans how are we going to fight the real ones?”

“Were you all truly together for that fight?”

“What do you mean?” Krillin asked.

“If you were together as you say would you have lost track of Chiaotzu so quickly? Would Tien have rushed the saiyans alone in a blind rage or could you have attacked as one? When he and Yamcha charged the saiyans did they attack one or choose different opponents on purpose?”

“You saw all that?”

“Did you think I hadn’t?”

Krillin had to pause. He had only been looking at the battle as his personal failure but listening to Kami made things a little more clear.

“Krillin, how well do you know your friends?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? They are my friends I know them plenty well.”

“Is that so? And when was the last time you had seen them before our training session?”

“Well, that would the World’s Martial Arts Tournament five years ago.”

“You’ve had no contact since then?”

“Well I mean everybody went off to do their own thing. I…I guess I could have called or something.”

“So it’s been some time.”

“Yeah…I guess so.” Krillin sat down his legs hanging off the side towards the Earth below. “Now I kind of feel bad.”

_What have I been doing for the past five years? Just hanging out with Master Roshi and Turtle?_ “It seems obvious now but I didn’t even know my best friend had a son until two months ago. How could I lose touch so easily? How could we…”

In an instant, Krillin realized what Kami was trying to tell him. “We weren’t fighting together.” Saying it out loud forced the monk back to his feet.

“Fighting in the tournaments…It was always one on one. Even Goku fought Piccolo by himself we didn’t have to do anything, but it's different now. We need to fight together, come up with strategies. This isn’t a tournament fight.” Krillin turned to look at the guardian. “It’s a war.”

Confirming everything with a slow nod Kami watched as Krillin started to breathe heavier his view on the battle turned upside down.

“Where do I start?”

“With a question, what did you learn about the saiyans today?”

“Learn?”

“Fighting the saiyans gave you some ideas as to what they are capable of, did it not?”

Krillin said nothing as he started to review the battle in his head.

“They are ruthless but I already knew that. They’re killers so they can kill you without a second thought even their own allies. The scouters they use can give away your location even if you blind them, and just like Goku they get weaker when you grab their tails. That’s it I guess. Not much to go on.”

 “To understand all that after a single encounter is more than enough Krillin.”

“It’s nothing special.” He replied rubbing his bald head in embarrassment.

“I disagree, now what will you do next?” Kami asked.

Krillin paused unsure how to answer.

“I mean I can tell the others about this, but I don’t know if they’ll listen to me. During the fight, I was completely ignored and everyone died. They all seem to want to win the fight on their own.”

“Do you believe they can?”

“No. Not by themselves, they need to work together but more than that. They need someone who can take charge of the situation, someone who can lead them through this.”

“What are you suggesting?” Kami said.

“I guess I’m saying that they need a leader, someone who can hold them together no matter what happens.”

“I must say I agree Krillin,” Kami said with a soft smile. “I believe you will do a fine job leading the others.”

“Well, thanks Kami I…wait what?” Krillin said his mouth moving faster than his brain.

“Did you not say this is a war? Doesn’t every war need a leader?”

“Well yeah! But I wasn’t…that doesn’t mean that I was nominating myself.”

“You are the best suited for the task.”

The world began spinning and Krillin found himself sitting back down just to brace himself. _This is a lot to take in._

“Well, why me? Wouldn’t Goku be better for this? He is the strongest.”

“As you said time must be taken to strategize and plan out our defenses. Not only is Goku not here I don’t believe that would be the best course of action.”

“Yeah, Goku isn't really known for his brains.”

Some time passed before Krillin thought up his next question.

“They didn’t listen to me before would anything change? They aren’t going to respect me more just because I say I’m in charge.”

“You must make them listen then.”

“How can I? Chiaotzu and Tien might be okay with it. But will Yamcha be all right with following orders? Will Yajirobe even care? I’m…I’m not strong enough to lead anyone.”

His words stopped the conversation and stilled the hideout.

“You may be right.” Kami’s voice came out slow. “However, to keep your promise you have to become stronger. Or is that not what you told the Ox King?”

“You even know about that huh?”

“I am the guardian of this planet. There is little I don’t know.”

The monk smiled but said nothing in response.

“This is it Krillin you’ve made your promises, now you have to see them through. The road will be anything but easy and if you fail we are dead. But you are strong, stronger then you think and you can become stronger still. It doesn’t matter if you fight to save the world or to just to save Gohan but the world needs you. It needs the courage you showed today and the power you wield.”

“Tien’s stronger than me. The scouter said so. He’d probably make a better leader.” Krillin mumbled.

“You talk about strength as if it is the only trait a leader needs. I believe there is more to you than just your strength. Am I wrong?”

Krillin looked at Kami and then back down to Earth. The lookout was so high up that he had a view of a nearby city and despite the late hour their lights had yet to go out.

_I don’t think I can fight for Earth. The scale is too big to imagine, but I will keep my promise that hasn’t changed. I can’t fight for every family but I can for one._

“Okay Kami. I’ll fight and I’ll lead but I need to ask one thing from you.”

“Anything.”

“Don’t tell the others about this, at least for now.”

“Are you certain?”

“I’m glad you believe in me. But I still have to get stronger before I’m ready for this responsibility.”

“Very well, if that is your wish.”

“It is.”

The guardian nodded and Krillin sensing the conversation had ended got up to leave.

“Guess I’ll try sleeping again, how about you?”

“Just because the sun has gone down does not mean the world has stopped spinning. As Earth’s guardian, I remain awake, always.”

“You don’t sleep?”

“I’ve never felt the need.”

“Wow. That’s rough.”

* * *

 

“I can’t believe it! How we going to beat them like this?!” Yamcha shouted.

The next fight with the saiyans had gone just as poorly as the first. One might say even worse as the threat of true death had been taken away.

“They’re just too fast even for my eyes,” said Tien unable to mask his disappointment.

“Yeah, but we were the last ones fighting Tien!” said Chiaotzu.

Yamcha had rushed the saiyans and was put down swiftly. Krillin had tried to spend this saiyan session studying the alien’s movements. But he was discovered and quickly obliterated. Tien and Chiaotzu had stayed with each other but were eventually overwhelmed and killed.

“I guess we should spend the rest of the day sparing. Just so it’s not a total disappointment.” Yamcha suggested.

“Good idea Chiaotzu lets practice over there.”

“Right behind you Tien!”

The duo picked a far end of the lookout leaving Yamcha and Krillin.

“Seeing as how Yajirobe is still stuffing his face I guess that leaves us.” The former bandit sighed.

Krillin laughed but remembered Kami’s words from the previous night.

_If I am to lead everyone I have to gain not just their trust but their respect as well. But how do I go about that?_

“Here I come!”

Yamcha’s words torn Krillin away from his thoughts as the monk blocked a charging punch and dodged the kick that came after.

“Nice! But how about this?”

_Still, likes to talk while he fights huh?_

As the spar continued Krillin went over what he actually knew about his friend Yamcha. His most glaring flaw was his big mouth and his eagerness to prove his strength. It got him a punch in the face from Mr. Popo and a quick death in the battle against the fake saiyans. But his heart was always in the right place and he would do anything for his friends even join the fight to save the world.

_All and all Yamcha’s a good guy that’s a little too wrapped up in himself._

“Wolf Fang Fist!”

With a shout, his Yamcha charged his sparring partner his fists ready to attack.

_Though he’s also predictable._

The Wolf Fang Fist is a unique attack in that no energy is directly expelled from the user; rather ki energy empowers the strikes with incredible force. The technique involved a series of punches and scratches finished with a double palm strike at the end. While deadly it does require the opponent to be hit for it to cause any harm. Krillin having seen the attack many times before had no trouble dodging every strike and then ending the barrage with a swift kick to the stomach.

“Oof!”

Yamcha’s assault ended, as he had to clutch his stomach in pain.

“Oh sorry, too hard?” said Krillin.

“No, no. Just wasn’t expecting you to dodge the wolf fang fist.”

“It’s not my first time seeing the move.”

“Guess I need to change it up a bit.”

There was a pause as the fighters continued their unspoken break.

_Wow. If we aren’t fighting do we really have nothing to talk about? I haven’t seen him for five years. He was a baseball player for crying out loud surely there’s something we can talk about._

“Why a wolf?”

The question had jumped out of Krillin before he had time to think about it.

_Of all the dumb things to ask._

“Sorry?” Yamcha asked a little confused.

_Just go with it._

“I mean the attack name why do you call it the wolf fang fist?”

“I guess I thought it sounded cool.”

“Oh.”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason. I was just curious.”

“Well enough talking time to fight!”

The two picked up their spar again but Krillin’s mind was elsewhere.

_He seems to be an open book but I can’t shake the feeling that he’s holding back on a few things._

Krillin’s thoughts ended there as his face caught a punch. “Ow.”

“Thought you would dodge that one.”

“Sorry. I was thinking.” Krillin said regaining his focus.

“About what?”

“It’s not important.”

“Oh come on. I shared.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, what’s on your mind?”

“…Why did you cheat on Bulma?”

The silence that followed was both deafening and very, very uncomfortable.   _Why do I ask the worst questions?!_

As Krillin mentally berated himself Yamcha sighed and sat down; the only sounds coming from Tien and Chiaotzu who were still sparing.

“She told you about that huh?”

“Yeah…sorry I asked.”

“…It’s alright.”

“Do, do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

From there the spar was quiet and controlled neither side fighting with everything they had. But while Krillin held back for concern his friend Yamcha just couldn’t keep his focus. He was distracted and it showed in both his attacks and movement. In this state, the monk would have no problem taking him down.

_But that would do more harm than good._

“You two are still fighting?”

Chiaotzu’s interruption stopped Krillin’s counter and broke up the practice.

“Nah I think we’re done, right Krillin?” said Yamcha.

“Ugh…yeah sure.”

The former bandit then left without another word leaving Krillin with his floating friend.

“Is he okay?” Chiaotzu asked.

“I think so. What happened to Tien?”

“He’s trying to convince Yajirobe to train.”

“Really? He’ll have better luck teaching Korin how to bark.”

The little warrior chuckled as the two watched Tien take Yajirobe’s chips away from him, it seemed to work until the fat samurai pulled out another bag from his inside his gi.

“Something tells me that they’ll be at that for a while. You wanna get some sparring done?”  Krillin asked.

“Sure.”

This wasn’t the first spar he had done with Chiaotzu. While he had made it a point to include the smaller fighter into his training schedule, it was hard to take their fights seriously. There was a point in their training where Krillin had just surpassed Chiaotzu as a martial artist. His once rival just couldn’t keep up and despite the lack of real training for five years the gap that had grown between them since the last tournament had not shrunk at all. Because of that Krillin would hold back for their fights worried that if he would go full force his friend would lose confidence in himself.

_But we don’t have the time to spare feelings._

“You ready?” Chiaotzu asked bringing the monk away from his thoughts.

“Yeah, but I’m coming at you with everything this time.”

“Okay.”

Digging his feet into the lookout Krillin launched himself towards his friend faster than any previous bout. Chiaotzu realized the change in speed but not fast enough to dodge the punch that burrowed into his cheek. The impact rocked him and stunned him enough for a follow-up but Krillin stopped his strike just enough to scare. The monk watched his friend’s reactions as he opened his mouth most likely to complain about the cheap shot, but Krillin was surprised to see that he stopped himself.

“Okay, I’m ready now.”

Krillin said nothing he continued his attack. His first two strikes hit home but his kick to the head was dodged and then countered with a ki blast that forced him back. Chiaotzu’s attack had more strength behind it than before and the little fighter wasted no time continuing his assault.

_Glad to see him taking this seriously._

Despite his enthusiasm, the difference in power was still obvious as Krillin weaved through the barrage and retaliated by shoving his knee into the tiny warrior. The exchange left Chiaotzu dazed, seeing an opportunity Krillin rushed his sparring partner down. But his momentum was destroyed as a sudden pain exploded from his chest and forced him to his knees.

_Huh?_

Slowly looking up he saw Chiaotzu with his arms stretched out and a grin on his face. In an instant, he remembered his fight with the smaller fighter during the 22nd World Martial Artist tournament and his ability to stop his opponent’s heart.

“Forgot you could do that.” Krillin wheezed.

“Yeah well, I’m not holding back either. And this time I’m not going to be tricked by some math problem!”

Krillin winced, as the hold on his heart grew tighter.

“I don’t suppose you could let up just a little?”

“If you are going to be serious about this then so I am,” Chiaotzu said determined not to lose.

_Don’t think I’m getting out of this one so easily._

He would have sighed but decided he couldn’t afford the waste of air and the pain was getting worse.

_I could just give up, the point was to push him a little further and that’s what he’s done right?... What would Goku do? He wouldn’t stop fighting even if this is just a spar. He’d probably do something outrageous and win at the last second. Maybe I can force my way?_

The step he took caught Chiaotzu attention and the hold became a squeeze.

_Nope! Hurts too much! He’s really not fooling around!_

“Give up?”

“Not, not yet.”

“Well, you aren’t going to trick me so you can stop trying!”

_He’s right…I can’t trick him…Need a dis…distraction._

His thoughts were broken and came slowly though he was in no danger of dying, passing out would count as a loss. Fighting against that his mind started to recall another fight that involved a technique he had seen performed multiple times.

_Might…as well give it a try._

Using the last of his energy Krillin raised his hands towards his face his fingers pointing at his eyes. He brought his energy upwards willed it to explode and shouted.

“Solar flare!”

The following burst of light surprised Krillin more than anyone but it still forced the little physic to remove his grip from his heart. Seeing a golden opportunity Krillin let a solid punch fly into Chiaotzu stomach and brought the floating fighter to his knees. Bringing his hand to his opponent’s eye level he couldn’t help but smirk a little.

“Give up?”

“That’s cheating! I didn’t know you could do that! You cheated!” Chiaotzu coughed.

 “I did not!”

“Yeah you did, you stole Tien’s move!”

“I borrowed it.”

“You borrowed the solar flare? How did you even know how to perform it?”

“Uh, I don’t know, I just did the motions and hoped for the best.”

“You just did the motions?”

“Yeah, it was the same when I did the Kamehameha for the first time.”

“It’s still cheating!” Chiaotzu shouted.

 “Krillin.”

His name was spoken so softly that he almost didn’t hear it but he turned his head to see Tien standing there.

_Uh oh, is he mad I stole his move?_

“That was incredible!”

“It was?” Krillin said a little surprised.

“The solar flare is a very advanced technique. To learn it in a day much less during a fight is very impressive.”

“It is? Really?”

“But Tien, he stole it,” Chiaotzu whined.

“Actually it’s a good idea if we swap attacks. The more we know the better prepared we’ll be.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Chiaotzu said with a sigh.

“So Krillin have you learned anything new since the tournament?”

The monk could feel his face flush with embarrassment. 

_The last thing I want to admit is spending the last five years on my butt watching the birds fly by._

“Oh yeah, sure, I’ve got something in the works.” Though his nervousness was obvious to him his words convinced his friends.

“Really? What is it?”

_Great, caught in a lie._

“Well, it’s a…ki attack…but the genius is its…simplicity.”

“What does it do?”

“It…”

_What should it do?_

Krillin took a second to look around the lookout stalling for time as he searched for inspiration. His eyes fell upon Yajirobe who was still eating but lying right next to him as it never left his side, was his sword.

“Cut,” Krillin whispered to himself.

“What did you say?” Tien asked.

“Um…it cuts.”

_Is that best thing I could come up with?_

“Cuts?” Chiaotzu chimed in.

_Just go with it._

“Yeah, but I’m still working on it.”

“Interesting, I’m looking forward to seeing it.” Said Tien.

_You and me both._

“Anyway I haven’t come up with anything but Chiaotzu figured out something. Want to show him?”

“Sure,” Chiaotzu said with a nod.

With everyone’s attention on him, the tiny warrior closed his eyes in concentration. A moment passed and then another before stretching out of his arms and erecting what appeared to be a small ki bubble surrounding him.

“What is that?” Krillin asked.

“It’s a barrier. Mainly used for defense it can block both physical and ki attacks depending on much energy you put into it.” Tien explained as Chiaotzu powered down.

“I didn’t know you could use ki for something like that.”

“Sure you can.” Chiaotzu with a devious grin, “It’s all about shifting the energy around you. Instead of gathering it like with the Kamehameha just shift it in a different way.”

“Wow that’s pretty useful, do you think I can learn it?”

“That’s the point as long as you show us what you’ve got later on.”

“Sure thing.”

_Guess I’ve got to come up with something impressive._

“Now that that’s done, I saw your fight Krillin and I was wondering if I could get a shot.”

“Didn’t we practice this morning?”

“Yeah, we did.” Said Tien, as he smashed his fists together as if he was preparing them. “But that was just a warm-up we haven’t seriously fought in a while.”

“Couldn’t get Yajirobe to practice?” Krillin said with a smile.

“The man’s impossible, it’s like he wants to eat every piece of food he can before the fight. He’s more interested in his chips then he is about the fate of the world.”

“I heard that!” The overweight samurai shouted from across the lookout.

“So, you up for it?” Tien said with a grin ignoring Yajirobe completely.

“If you think you can keep up. I’m going at full strength right from the start.”

“Then I’ll do the same.”

The two martial artists took to their stances and stared at their opponent trying to read the other’s movements before they moved. Across the lookout, Yajirobe’s hand dove into his chip bag as if it were an animal deprived of food. Finding a particularly large chip the fat samurai took the salty snack and took a bite. The following crunch was the gunshot for the fight as Krillin made the first move leaping into the air and coming down with a crushing ax kick. The blow caused Tien to step back but returned with his own kick twice as fast. Krillin ducked under it and shot a punch at his opponent’s unguarded chin. But his attack was read, his fist was grabbed and before he could register what had happened he felt his feet leave the ground and his body fly airborne. Krillin caught himself by floating and was happy to have the height advantage, but his grin faded when he saw his sparring partner gathering his energy.

“Tri-beam!”

The cannon of ki came fast and hard neither of which Krillin was unprepared for. The monk braced himself as there was no time to dodge but just as his defenses were ready a thought entered his head.

_What if I tried something different?_

* * *

 

The as the blast of energy collided with Krillin it resulted in an explosion that shook the lookout and drenched the area in smoke.

“Isn’t that a bit much?” Chiaotzu asked.

“I think he take it.”

“You think? Tien! What if he’s hurt?”

“What’s going on here?

The two fighters turned to see Mr. Popo, Kami, and Yamcha running towards them.

“Their all blowing each other up that’s what going on.” Yajirobe coughed as he blew the dust off of his chip bag.

“Was that Krillin up there?” Yamcha asked.

“Yeah,” said Tien.

“Are you trying to kill him?”

“No need to worry.” Said Kami.

“How can you be so sure? For all, we know he didn’t block it in time.” Yamcha asked.

“Hey!”

The voice called out above the crowd who were all surprised to see Krillin waving to them.

“Are we stopping?” Krillin asked as he landed.

“You’re okay!” Chiaotzu said as he in floated in for a hug.

“I’m fine. What’s going on?”

“How did you get out of that unharmed?” Mr. Popo asked.

“Oh I…used a barrier,” Krillin said almost ashamed.

“You stole my move too?” The tiny warrior said ripping himself away from the hug he had given. “How did you even do that?”

“Well, you showed me right?”

“I showed you once! And you weren’t supposed to steal it!”

“Calm down Chiaotzu. Krillin did you really just use a barrier?”

“Yeah, here watch.” Krillin closed his eyes just as he had seen it for the first time. He became aware of his ki and directed it to his hands that lay by his sides. Spreading out his arms he released the energy but shifted it just as he had been told so that circled around him and made a bubble.

“Impressive,” said Kami.

“Maybe but I can’t move once it’s up.”

“Well sorry that my technique is useless.”

“Chiaotzu please, though I can’t believe you mastered that in one day as well,” Tien said impressed.

“Maybe I’m just a genius!” Krillin beamed.

“Maybe, but you still have a way to go if you want to be at my level,” Tien said with a sneer.

Raising one eyebrow Krillin slowly said, “Is that a fact?”

Krillin for the first time in quite a while was feeling confident. Sliding into his trademark stance and watching Tien do the same Krillin couldn’t help but feel that with his ability to learn and perform techniques at such a quick level that he might stand a chance of leading his friends into battle.

_Maybe I can do this._    

The thought was so distracting that didn’t see Tien’s attack coming and caught the punch with his face. With his head snapped back Krillin couldn’t react to Tien’s kick, which collided with his ribs and robbed him of his breath. Finding his feet Krillin dug his heels down and prepared himself for the next exchange. But when it came he saw that Tien slipped through his guard as if it wasn’t there. His movements were too fast for his eyes and his strikes too quick to react to. It was after his second punch connected with air that Krillin realized a dark truth that had been lurking in the back of his mind.

_He’s been holding back with me, just like I do with Chiaotzu._

The little confidence Krillin had gained started to slip away and his focus wavered. Hoping to gain some ground Krillin lifted his hands to his eyes closed them and shouted out his new technique.

“Solar Fla-“

His attempt was cut short as Tien’s fist connected with his face knocking it back once more. Before he could respond he felt his weight shift as his feet were knocked out from under him. He crashed onto the ground and opened his eyes to see Tien pointing a single finger at his head while slowly gathering his ki.

“You won’t get me with a move I invented you know.”

“Had to try.”

“Give up?”

“I suppose I have to.”

“Wow, Tien! You are so strong!” Chiaotzu said floating over, seeing Krillin getting beat up had done wonders for his damaged pride.

“We have to be if we are going to win,” Yamcha said with a smirk.

“It’s good to see you all taking this training seriously. However, seeing as how dinner is prepared a break might be in order.” Kami said calmly with Mr. Popo nodding in agreement.

“Nice! I’m starving.” Yamcha said, “Krillin you coming?”

“Give me a minute I’ll catch up you later.” The monk said still laying on the ground of the lookout.

“Don’t take too long,” Tien said before he and the rest turned and walked into the heart of the lookout.

Krillin looked at the sky closed his eyes and sighed himself.

“You got your butt kicked.”

Looking at the sky again Krillin wasn’t happy to see his view blocked by a tubby samurai who was still eating chips.

“I know I did Yajirobe.”

“I mean he *munch* really kicked your butt.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Do you know how badly *munch* you got your butt kicked?”

“You’ve made your point.”

“It’s like the only *munch* reason you’re even here *munch* is to get your butt kicked.”

“I get it!” Krillin shouted sitting up. “I got cocky.”

“You gonna give up?”

Krillin turned and looked at the chip-eating glutton who had asked such a serious question with a fistful of the salty snack.

“Wish I could,” Krillin said as he got to his feet. “Make my life a lot easier even if it would be just one more year.”

“So you’re not quitting?” asked Yajirobe.

“No I can’t, there’s too much at stake in this fight.”

“Alright, *munch* guess I won’t either. You should tell those guys you’re the leader *munch* soon.”

“How, how did you know about that?” Krillin said his face showing his surprise.

“Got a midnight snack *munch* heard you talking to Kami *munch*.”

“And…you’re okay with that?”

“Better you than me *munch*.”

Without another word, Yajirobe left Krillin deciding that dinner was much more important than the rest of the conversation.


	6. More Time

 

“Damnit! Why isn’t this working?”

It had been a month since Krillin’s talk with Yajirobe and while his determination to prove himself had grown stronger he himself had not.

_Okay, one more try._

Concentrating Krillin formed a ball of energy in his hand the sphere of ki floating harmlessly in place. With everything, ready Krillin began his third attempt at the impossible task of flattening the ki to make a disc.

_Come on._

The energy ball twitched as it began to compress itself as Krillin began to the next step of the technique, making it spin. The idea was that with the energy flattened and spinning at a high speed he could throw the disc and hopefully cut off something the opponent needs.

_Just a little more._

Everything was going smoothly until Krillin realized he hadn’t been feeding the ball of energy enough ki and the semi-disc fizzled out into nothing.

_Damn, if it’s not the amount of energy then it’s the lack of spin. There are too many factors for this technique._

He had come up with the idea in complete desperation, as he knew he needed something that could cut his opponent if only to show Tien and Chiaotzu he wasn’t a liar. The idea didn’t come to him in a dream but in the realization that he would rather cut someone from a distance than up close and be in danger of getting cut himself. Collapsing in defeat Krillin sighed heavily his failure to create a usable technique had been only one of many in the past few weeks. Though he had sparred with Tien more often and insisted that he no longer hold back every bout had ended with his loss. Not to mention the team had yet to win one battle against the fake saiyans while the day the very real saiyans arrive comes closer with every passing minute.

_The only real advantage we have is that there is only going to be two of them. We outnumber them but we still can’t work as a team. Which is, of course, my fault, nobody listens to me when we're in the pendulum room because I’m weaker than Tien. But I can’t surpass him because of the five-year gap._

Grabbing his bald head in frustration Krillin began his almost daily exercise of berating himself.

_Yajirobe doesn’t seem to mind and I think Chiaotzu wouldn’t really care either but the other two still have their pride. I can’t beat Tien, and Yamcha still won’t really talk to me after I asked him about Bulma. What am I supposed to do?_

“Hey, Krillin you okay?” Chiaotzu asked looking down on the fallen monk.

“Yeah, I’m fine just a little tired.”

“Alright, well I’m turning in, you coming?”

“I’ll be in a second.”

“Okay, night.”

“Night.”

Once more Krillin was alone on the lookout. Tien and Yamcha had gone in to try and beat Shorty and Scarface by themselves something the monk knew was a lost cause. Yajirobe had gone to bed hours ago leaving Chiaotzu to train alone with Krillin on the other side of the lookout practicing his unnamed disc move.

_I guess making up your own move is harder than just copying one you’ve seen._    

Before he went any further Krillin checked to make sure that Chiaotzu had really left. Once he was satisfied that his friend had really done to bed the monk began to practice his second original move. One that he felt he needed to keep a secret.   

_He would probably just accuse me of stealing his move again._

With that Krillin brought up a barrier which he had been practicing for the past month. He had gotten better at using the ki sphere making it stronger and forming it faster, but while it did protect him his movement became restricted and both Scarface or Shorty could break through it without much effort. So Krillin had come up with a variation of the technique something to balance the battlefield.

_Saiyan’s are naturally stronger which is why they can take off our limbs with just a punch._ Krillin shuddered, _but if we went in with some extra protection that might help us in the long run._ So Krillin began to shrink the barrier until it only covered the outline of his body.

_An armor made out of ki might be the thing that we need if I could get it to work._

While movement was much easier this way the concentration it took to fight while maintaining this state had been difficult. He had tried it once against the saiyans after everyone else had been killed only to discover that the barrier could only withstand one attack before it shattered. If left alone Krillin could have a shield up for only a few minutes.

_Plus if I use any ki attacks while I’m protected it fades and it’s not like it doesn’t stop the pain when the saiyans hit me it just reduces it. I can’t tell if I’m wasting my time with this technique or not._

Despite his doubts, Krillin continued training his new techniques in the hopes that even one of them will be useful against the approaching saiyans. After another few attempts, Krillin slumped over panting frantically.

_I am getting stronger. But how strong do I need to be? How powerful are these saiyans going to be? Are we just running around training for a lost cause? Am I killing myself for no reason, when I could be looking for a girlfriend?_ Krillin snorted.

_Yeah right, even with the world ending I don’t think a girl would give me the time of day._

Standing up he wiped the sweat off himself and stared up at the moonless sky. “If only there was more time.”

Walking back in the dark made his way to his room looking forward to sleeping more than usual. But before he could a low growl ripped through the night sky.

_Geez is that my stomach? I guess dinner didn’t last as long as I wanted it too. Should I get a snack?_

Krillin stood in the dark for a moment wondering if the journey was worth the trouble. That was until his stomach roared again and made his decision for him. Choosing to abandon his bed for a little while longer Krillin journeyed deeper into the lookout hoping to find the kitchen. Walking through the long halls had the monk’s mind wandering as his search continued before long Krillin had to ask himself a simple question.

_Am, am I lost?_

Realizing there was nothing that looked familiar Krillin sighed deeply, both the kitchen and his bed further out of reach.

_This is the last thing I need right now._

With exhaustion ruling his actions Krillin decided the best course of action was to open every door until he recognized something. Hoping that would be enough to guide him back to his room. As he stumbled through the dark opening random doors Krillin felt his concentration begin to slip, sleep slowly getting the better of him. However, that feeling vanished when Krillin rounded the next corner only to be replaced by a soft chill that ran up and down his spine.

_Huh?_

Now fully awake Krillin stared at the source of his discomfort which was door placed at the end of the long hall. The door itself looked no different from the many Krillin had already opened yet its presence felt strange, almost wrong.

_Something tells me I’m better off not opening that door…Then again I wasn’t told not to._

Curiosity getting the best of him Krillin opened the mysterious door and stepped through.

_W…What is this?_

Krillin eyes went wide as he stared at, absolutely nothing. White stretched out in front of him endless in scope. He felt the chill get worse as it danced along his entire back.

_What kind of room is this?_

Taking his first step Krillin ripped his eyes from the white and began to look around and discovered he was more or less in a house of some sort, though it was alone in giving the sense of anyone ever staying here for an extended period of time.

_There’s a bath, a bed, even a refrigerator. With this amount people could live here for a while, but why?_

“Krillin!”

His childhood fear of ghosts coming back to him the monk turned around slowly his arms up for protection. But what he saw wasn’t a ghost but a very concerned looking Kami.

“What are you doing here?” The guardian of Earth asked.

“Uh, where is here?”

“Come with me.” The green guardian said grabbing Krillin by the wrist and pulling him out of the white room.

Closing the door behind them Kami glared at Krillin who shrank frightened by the intensity of the stare.

“What are you doing down here?”

 “Uh sorry I, got lost?”

“How long were you in there?” Kami asked his concern easy to hear.

“I…I don’t know, a couple of seconds, I guess?”

Kami said nothing but the glare from his eyes subsided.

“I see.”

“Kami?” Krillin asked meekly “What was that?”

“That. Is the hyperbolic time chamber.”

“…the what?”

“It is a place located in a different dimension than our own.”

“Kami, you aren’t making any sense.”

“Understand this then. That place is dangerous and you are not allowed entrance.”

“What but why?”

“If you are not careful Krillin, that place will kill you.”

Krillin remained silent for a moment the intensity of the Kami almost scaring him enough to drop the conversation entirely. But he didn’t and instead asked one question.

“How?”

“I am not sure I should tell you.”

Krillin was surprised by this response if Kami could trust him with the fate of the world but not the contents of this room it had to be something serious.

“Please Kami. We don’t have the luxury for secrets.”

Kami sighed but spoke. “This room gives you exactly what we need, more time. As it is located in a pocket dimension, time moves slower there.”

“How much slower?”

“A year in there is only a single day out here.”

Krillin’s eyes bulged and a wild grin took to his face. “Kami! This is amazing with this room we can-”

“No!”

It was the first time Krillin had heard Kami yell and it shut him up without a fuss.

“While there are advantages to the chamber there is also a deadly risk.”

“What?”

“Because the room is in a different dimension the environment is deadly to anything, even a human such as you. The gravity is denser and the temperature fluctuates from boiling hot to freezing cold.”

“I think we can handle that. The harsher the environment the better the training, right?”

“You underestimate the chamber Krillin,” Kami said his glare returning. “The room itself is a death trap. Even Goku couldn’t last a month when he trained with us.”

“Oh.”

“Krillin, I need your word as a martial artist that you will not only refrain from using this room but you will not mention it to the others.”

Kami’s glare grew worse as he spoke his words coming out slow and deadly.

_I don’t think he’s going to let me go to bed if I don’t agree._

“I… I give you my word.”

“Thank you. Now sleep well, you have another day of training soon.”

“Sure…but um, do you know the way?” Krillin said with a soft smile.

(cut)

“Yamcha!”

The former bandit fell in the dirt dead once again, killed by Shorty who wore an evil grin. “That’s one gone.”

“Dammit, Chiaotzu with me!” Tien shouted charging the saiyan.

“Okay, Tien!”

“Wait stop! We need a plan!”

The two ignored Krillin and rushed Shorty who was joined by Scarface.

“These two got some spirit,” said Shorty

“But they’re lacking in the brains,” Scarface replied.

The two saiyans said nothing else as they raised their hands and unleashed a wave of energy covering Tien and Chiaotzu in the blast. The two weren’t even able to scream before their bodies were vaporized leaving nothing but smoke and ash.

“Let’s hope the last one fares better,” said Scarface.

Krillin said nothing but dropped into his stance and brought up his shield. This pattern of being the last one left had become more and more common as the others were still refusing to listen.

“Do you want him?”

“Not reall-”

That was as far as Shorty had gotten before Krillin dug his shin into his gut. The kick sent the smaller saiyan into a nearby hill of bodies which give off a sickening squish as he landed in it.

“Bastard!” Scarface said as he went to attack Krillin but the monk read his movements dodged the blow and countered with enough force to bring him to his knees.

_Nice! now I just have to-_

His thoughts stopped as energy blast caught him in the back breaking his barrier and bringing him crashing to the ground.

“Little nothing!” He heard Shorty shout.

Krillin scrambled for his feet but his attempt was shot down when a saiyan boot pressed its weight onto his back and pinned him to the bloodied battlefield.

“Let’s not waste any more time on this.” The owner of the boot said slowly.

Krillin struggled but was silenced as he felt his flesh sizzle and burn before blacking out.

(cut)    

“This is impossible!” He heard Yamcha say and he opened his eyes to the familiar pendulum room.

“Everyday it’s like this no matter what we try!”

“These saiyans are truly formidable foes.” Tien said calmly “But Kami wouldn’t have given us this task if he did not we could overcome it.”

_We might have a better chance if you all would just listen to me._ Krillin thought but wasn’t angry enough to say.

“I guess.” Yamcha sighed “I’m heading out if anyone wants to spar.”

“I’ll join you,” Tien said with Chiaotzu nodding in agreement. “Krillin you coming?”

"In a bit just got to go use the toilet.”

The others nodded and Krillin left as he went to the bathroom. He was about halfway until he ran to Yajirobe who had yet another bag of chips in his hands.

“Sup. You guys die again?”

“Yes Yajirobe we died again, you know we could use your help in there.”

“Not my thing.”

“Are you sure? You’d be helping me out, you would actually listen to me for one.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, like I could make a difference?”

“I mean you won’t know until you try.”

“Thanks, short stuff I didn’t believe I could until you said something.” Yajirobe snorted. “Come talk to me when you guys can actually put up a fight.” The fat samurai said before walking away his hands digging into his chips.

The comments stung but Krillin couldn’t deny the facts.

_He’s right, we’ve just been dying over and over with nothing I can’t change anything at this rate…but if I had more time, maybe I could._

 Krillin shook his head trying to expel the idea out. He then started walking towards the direction where his friends had gone in the midst of their sparring.

_I can’t use it. I gave Kami my word that I wouldn’t. And yet, nothing I’m doing is working._

He paused, before turning away from his friends to go back, deeper into the lookout.

_This might be my only option._

Before long he came face to face with the door to the hyperbolic time chamber. The chill he had felt last night returned even stronger than before, yet he did not let that stop him. Gripping the knob Krillin exhaled before closing his eyes as if trying to escape his own decision.

_Sorry Kami._

Opening his eyes as the door closed behind Krillin breathed in the dense heavy air and stared at the endless white.

_How far does it really go?_

Tearing himself away from the void the next thing he noticed was the silence. Even the lookout in the heart of night didn’t have the same sense of nothing as the time chamber. Krillin shuddered but walked forward making his way towards the vast nothing. It wasn’t until he stepped off the platform did his body shoot to the ground brought down by an unexpected increase in gravity.

_This…this is intense!_

Trying to use his arms Krillin struggled to lift himself to his knees. Already panting as if he had run a hundred miles he crawled back to the platform where the gravity was lighter. Breathing in slowly his body already drenched in sweat Krillin looked toward the door that would bring him to Earth.

_Not…yet_

Getting to his feet still exhausted he stepped off the platform once more the gravity pushing him just as hard. But he was prepared and stayed on his feet, taking a step he slipped but caught himself before he could fall. Carefully standing again Krillin slowly slid into his stance.

_Let’s start…with just the basics_

(cut)

Kami and Mr. Popo stepped out onto the grounds as they watched the warriors spar. Their effort brought a smile to the guardian but it quickly disappeared when he noticed someone missing.

“Chiaotzu,” Kami said slowly. “Where is Krillin?”

“Oh, he said he was going to the bathroom.”

“That was hours ago,” Yamcha said blocking a punch by Tien. “You’d think he’d be done by now.”

“Perhaps he’s simply lost. The lookout is anything but small.” Tien replied dodging a kick.

Kami’s eyes narrowed hoping Krillin had not disobeyed him.

“Maybe he’s slacking off,” Yajirobe said walking towards the two still holding his chips.

“Krillin? No, he’s not like you Yajirobe,” said Yamcha

“I don’t know if I was the leader like him I wouldn’t waste my time running around like you guys.”

“Leader?” Tien said ending his fight with Yamcha. “What are you talking about?”

“…oops,” Yajirobe said before stuffing his mouth with more chips.

“Kami, what’s this about?” Tien asked the guardian.

“…I will explain everything soon.” Kami said as shot Yajirobe a glare that could kill. “But for now please continue to practice.”

The martial artists hesitated but reluctantly went back to their training, their trust in Kami winning over their curiosity.

“Watch over them,” Kami said to Mr. Popo. “Make sure none follow.”

“What are you going to do?” Mr. Popo replied not taking his eyes off the fighters.

“I’m going to fetch a fool.”

Walking briskly toward Krillin’s room Kami was only saddened by the lack of the monk. Walking quickly Kami made his way to the hyperbolic time chamber. Thrusting it open Kami took a step into the chamber as the entrance slowly closed behind him. Looking around Kami could clearly see that the chamber was in use. The beds had been slept in and there was a dent in the food supply. Yet Krillin was nowhere to be seen. Looking at the giant hourglasses surrounding the small island Kami was able to see the amount of time Krillin had been in the chamber.

_Four months. Much too long._

Stepping off the platform Kami could see a figure in the distance that could only be one person.

_To go so deep, his mind must be gone._ “Krillin!” Kami shouted hoping to gain the monk’s attention.

When that failed the guardian of Earth slowly made his way toward Krillin the gravity increasing with each step. When he arrived at Krillin’s side the human made no indication that he had even noticed Kami.

“Krillin!” Kami wheezed “Stop this!”

Lost in oblivion Krillin continued with the basics unaware he was doing anything wrong. While his strikes were precise and his strength was there Kami could see that the monk’s eyes were wild and unfocused.

“You force my hand,” Kami said as he delivered a cutting strike to the back of Krillin’s neck. Slumping over Kami caught the monk before he could hit the ground.

(cut)

It took a moment for Krillin to realize that his eyes were open. It took him another to recognize his surroundings one of the beds in the center of the time chamber something he hadn’t seen in a long time. He breathed a sigh of relief but almost choked on it when he noticed Kami glaring at him.

“You are a fool.” The guardian said slowly.

“I know.”

“You are lucky that I was here.”

“I know.”

Then do you know that you lied to me?”

Krillin flinched.

“You gave me your word as a martial artist. Is your word not sacred?

“Not as much as my promises,” Krillin said, meeting Kami’s glare.

“Then you are a loyal fool, but a fool nonetheless.”

“I guess I am. How long have I been here?”

“Four months, but only hours have passed outside.”

“Wow, what happened?” Krillin said, trying to sit up.

“Your sanity left you, you were lost in the void training. Had I not intervened you would have died here.” Kami said, pushing him back down.

“…Oh”

“It was one of the risks I warned you of. I had to heal your mind to a point where you could come back.”

“You, healed my mind? You can do that?”

“I can do many things,” Kami said with a smirk. “How do you feel?”

“Better… I’m sorry.”

“If you are truly sorry, keep your promise about not telling your friends about this place. Having our fighters lose their minds before the fight even begins is, counterproductive.”

“Understood.”

“Now,” Kami said, letting Krillin up. “It is time we left this place.”

Krillin left the comfort of the bed and walked with Kami towards the exit. Exiting the time chamber had a feeling similar to sinking into a warm bath on a cold day. Letting his muscles relax Krillin grinned as he felt his strength return.

“I must warn you,” Kami said as the two walked towards the grounds. “Yajirobe let slip that you are to lead your friends into battle.”   

“Of course he did,” Krillin said sighing in frustration.

“They will be expecting an explanation.”

“Well then, I guess I’d better give them one.”

“I will advocate for you. As in your weakened state, you might lose to those that are not satisfied with this outcome.”

“No need for that.”

Kami paused.

“It’s good that you confident, but we must-”

“Kami,” Krillin said cutting off the guardian. “I’m sorry that I disobeyed you and went behind your back. But if you think these past four months made me weaker then you are wrong.”

The guardian said nothing as he stared at the monk.

“I’m stronger now.”

Kami paused before speaking. “If you believe that is the best course of action. I shall trust your judgment.”

“Thank you.”

As the two arrived on the grounds Krillin almost wept at the sight of his friends training the sight of his companions warming him to his core.

“Hey, they’re back!” Chiaotzu shouted gaining the attention of the rest of the group.

Krillin was bombarded by questions until Kami raised his hand and silenced the crowd.

“In this coming battle, I felt that it would necessary for one of you to lead the others against the saiyans as this isn’t a battle that can be fought alone. You must work as one if we are to survive this and from what I have seen I have decided that Krillin is to be your leader.”

“What? But Tien is so much stronger!” said Chiaotzu.

“Chiaotzu! Please control yourself.”

“But Tien you are!”

“Why do we even need a leader?” Yamcha said almost snorting. “These saiyans can’t be that much tougher than the ones we’re fighting now. Plus we’ll have Goku and Piccolo with us when the time comes. I bet we could fight these saiyans right now.”

“Sure if you want to die,” Krillin said quieting everyone. “You forgot that out of all of us I was the only one who actually saw Raditz. The saiyan that **killed** Goku, I know what we are up against more than any of you.”

“And what do you propose we do?” Asked Tien.

“We need a plan.”

“A plan? Why? We’ve been training non-stop for three months and we still have nine more before the saiyans arrive.” Yamcha said with a grin. “We’ll be so strong these aliens won’t be able to run away fast enough.”

“Well do you think you’re strong now?”

“What?”

“I’ll give up my position as the leader if one of you beats me. But if I win you guys have to listen to whatever I have to say.”

“A contest for leadership? Sounds good to me.” Yamcha smirked. “I’ll go first.”

“Actually I want all three of you to fight me.”

Krillin could tell this had confused his friends as they couldn’t hide the surprise on their faces.

“What are you talking about Krillin you can’t even win against Tien!” Chiaotzu cried.

“Maybe not.” Said Krillin “But I still bet I can beat all three of you.”

“Krillin,” Kami said cutting in. “Are you certain?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I mean Yajirobe can join them if he wants.”

“I’m *munch* good.”

“Well, it’s your funeral.” Said Tien stepping forward.

“Ready when you are.”

Yamcha and Tien charged with Chiaotzu staying in the back just as Krillin had seen them do in the pendulum room a hundred times before. Acting quickly he shot out a ki blast with enough energy to stun not hurt. It hit Yamcha’s leg as he was taking a step which put him off balance enough to fall and take Tien with him. The two martial artists fell flat on their faces as if they were toddlers.

“Watch where you’re going!”

“You watch it!”

Though the argument was brief it gave Krillin just enough time to rush Chiaotzu. The little fighter panicked and fired off a burst of ki out of fear more than anything else. This is exactly the reaction Krillin knew Chiaotzu would have so he dodged the blast and watched it collide with Tien behind him.

“Chiaotzu! Watch where you’re aiming!”

“Sorry Ti-”

Chiaotzu apology was stopped as Krillin grabbed his head and tossed him at Tien who was struggling to recover. The two collided with enough force to knock Chiaotzu unconscious and stun Tien.

“That’s it! I’ve had it!” Yamcha shouted before running towards Krillin his fists ready. In response, Krillin lifted his hands to his face preparing a solar flare. However, Yamcha had seen this move before as well and was familiar with how it worked.

“You’ll have to do better than that!” Yamcha said as he closed his eyes.

But Krillin had also expected this, seeing Yamcha jump the gun before he knew what was happening Krillin didn’t need to perform the solar flare to get the former bandit to close his eyes. Now invisible to Yamcha who was still assuming he was still standing in front of him Krillin swayed to the side, stuck his foot out, and couldn’t stop a smile as he watched the scarred fighter fall on his face.

“Dodon ray!”

Tien’s shout caused Krillin to whirl around in time to see the three-eyed warrior fire off a beam towards him. Thinking quickly Krillin grabbed Yamcha and held him up acting as a shield.

“WAIT STOP! TIEN STOP!”

Tien couldn’t stop but when he saw Yamcha being used as a wall he curved his attack so that it arched away hurting no one.

“That was clo-”

Cutting Yamcha off with a quick chop to the back of the neck Krillin had taken care of two out of the three. However, the biggest obstacle was also the last.

“Impressive. I guess fighting three people instead of one really is different.” Tien said almost sighing.

“That’s why the saiyans can kill us so easily. We’re just getting in each other’s way like this.”

“It’s true,” Kami said stepping in. “The point of the saiyan fight is to make you understand that not one of you alone can overcome this threat, for this you need a leader.”

“Point taken. But that doesn’t mean the leader has to be Krillin, does it?”

“You still want to fight?” said Krillin.

“The bet was whoever beats you right? Now it’s just you and me.”

“Tien, do you not feel that Krillin has proven himself?” Kami asked.

“Sure, defeating two of us is impressive. But I’m still here.”

 “All right, if you insist.” Said Krillin; eyeing the unconscious Yamcha.

“You going to throw him at me too?” Tien said readying himself for another flying friend.

“Not exactly.” Krillin shrugged before grabbing Yamcha and tossing him over the edge of the lookout.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Tien launched himself toward the edge hoping to catch his friend before he was too far gone.

Almost sliding off himself Tien was able to grab Yamcha’s foot and stop the former bandit from hitting the ground.

“Even if we can fly Krillin that’s dan-” Tien’s sentence died as he saw Krillin holding out his hand slowly gathering energy, the signal for the fight to end.

“Give up?”

Tien frowned but pulled Yamcha up.

“I can’t say that wasn’t clever.”

“It’s something that the saiyans are more than capable of doing. We should be prepared for something like this.”

“Point taken. But that wasn’t very honorable.” Tien said.

“Honor doesn’t matter if you’re dead. So, do you give up?”

“Don’t really have a choice do I? You beat us, albeit without much grace.”

“I still won.”

“So what’s next, leader?”

“We’ll wait for Chiaotzu and Yamcha to wake up then finish up our training with Shorty and Scarface.”

“The saiyans?” Tien said, surprised at Krillin’s tone. “You think we can beat them? We just tried this morning.”

“No, we’ll be able to do it this time,” Krillin said looking at Kami. “Don’t you think so?”

“…I will trust your judgment.”


	7. Only Human

 

Earth’s defenders stood on the broken red planet they had visited so many times over. Though they stood together Krillin knew he had a long way to go before the group would really trust him. His doubts only grew as Yamcha spoke.

“Do you really think this will work?”

“I don’t see how it won’t.”

“But if we raise our power won’t they find us?” Chiaotzu asked almost shaking with fear.

“As long as we stick to the plan we’ll be fine,” Krillin said, his confidence alarming the others.

“Can you guarantee that?” Yamcha asked.

“We’ll see won’t we?”

“Come on Yamcha,” Tien said. “It’s not like anything we’ve done before has worked.”

“Alright fine. But if this falls apart I’m doing things my way.”

Krillin sighed but said nothing as he steadily brought his energy to light, using just enough ki to catch the attention of two scouters. The others did the same and in an instant, Krillin felt a sense of dread wash over him.

“They’re coming, don’t rush them, follow the plan and we can win. Chiaotzu you’re up first.”

“R..right.”

Before long Krillin saw Shorty and Scarface fly in overhead, landing in front of the Earthlings, they were already looking for a fight.

_It’ll be different this time._

“What do we have here?” Scarface said his grin growing.

“Looks like a little group with interesting numbers.”

“That it does, anyway I’m Scarface and this here is Shorty.”

“Pleasure.”

“So, with introductions out of the way, we’re going to kill yo-”

Scarface suddenly stopped talking as his eyes bulged out and he fell to his knees.

“Scarface?” said Shorty “What’s wro-”

“Solar flare!”

The burst of light from Tien washed over Shorty and robbed him of his sight. Screaming as he covered his eyes he failed to notice Yamcha circle around him and grab his tail. The effect was immediate and Shorty fell to his knees as well.

“You, dare?!” He panted trying to summon his strength and failing.

Yamcha and others said nothing but the shock at neutralizing the saiyans so quickly was easily readable on their faces.

“As long as we don’t fight them head on we can win.” Krillin said, “You okay holding him there Chiaotzu?”

“Yeah… I…I think I got him.” Chiaotzu said both hands reaching out towards Scarface as he gripped the saiyans heart with his mind.

“Filth!” Scarface chocked. “You’ll be begging for death when I’m done with you!”

“You’re in no position to be making threats,” said Tien. “So, what’s next Krillin?”

 “….I’m. I’m not really sure.”

The silence that followed forced Krillin to scratch his head in embarrassment.

“What do you mean? You don’t know?” Yamcha asked, “How are we supposed to get home?”

“I thought as long as we beat these two Kami would let us out.”

“Well he’s clearly not doing that,” said Tien, “Any other ideas?”

“I have one.”

It took a second for Krillin and Tien to notice Scarface raising a hand to fire a burst of energy that pierced through Yamcha killing him. No longer able to hold Shorty’s tail the smaller saiyan was now free to attack Chiaotzu.

“No! Stop!” Tien shouted.

But Shorty was faster, closing in on his prey already excited at the sensation of tearing into the little martial artist. However, his desire for blood blinded Shorty, as he failed to see the punch that crashed into his face from the side. The follow through sent the smaller saiyan shooting to the ground the impact making a small dent.

“Who?!” Shorty shouted looking around already back on his feet.

This only gave Krillin enough time to bring his foot down on the saiyans head, stepping on Shorty’s skull with enough force to bury his face into the dirt. A crack rang out but Krillin was unsure if it was the saiyans nose or the ground beneath it.

“Chiaotzu,” Krillin said slowly his foot still on top of Shorty.

“Uh..yes?”

“Make sure you don’t loosen your grip on his heart.”

“Oh…sorry.”

“Apologize to Yamcha when you get the chance.”

“You won’t have to wait long,” Shorty said throwing off Krillin’s foot and standing up, his blood dripping freely from his nose. “You’ll all be joining him in hell!”

Though Shorty threw the first punch Krillin shifted his head enough for it to breeze by him. Shooting a counter that flattened the saiyans already bloody face brought him back down, into the dirt.

“Bastard!”

Again Shorty attacked, and again Krillin dodged his strikes.

_So this is a saiyan_

“Bastard!!”

Shorty jumped back and fired off a beam of energy that skated across the red sky. Krillin sidestepped it.

_Just because they are strong they believe themselves superior. But what happens when they find someone stronger?_

 “BASTARD!!!”

Shorty rushed him almost feral lunging at Krillin like a beast starved.

_They become nothing more than an animal._

“Ka.”

Krillin could feel the familiar sensation of his ki flowing towards his hands.

“Me.”

Shorty had some ground to cover before he could reach the monk. Though he could have tried a different approach the only thing on his mind was Krillin’s blood, and the quickest way to that was with his bare hands.

“Ha.”

A small ball of ki gathered in the palm of his hands the warmth it generated almost calming.

“Me.”

Finally, Shorty had his prey within killing distance. Smashing his hand into a fist the saiyan screamed as he let a punch soar through the air and crunched into Krillin’s face. The saiyan was looking to rip the human’s head off with one strike his anger overriding every other instinct. But Krillin’s head stayed. So the monk pushed his palms open so that the ball of energy rested inches away from the saiyans chest.

“Ha!”

The blast encompassed Shorty vaporizing his flesh, bone, and tail. His armor cracked, shattered, and dissolved along with his scouter. The beam split the ground making its way until it hit a mountain and reduced the giant to rubble. When the attack died there was nothing left of Shorty or anything, two miles behind him.

“Krillin.”

Hearing his name he turned to see Tien, speechless. While Chiaotzu had regained control and was holding Scarface down, the saiyan once again clutching at his heart.

“I’ll explain later,” Krillin said as he walked past his two friends and made his way to Scarface.

“You’d better.” Tien spat.

Looking over the saiyan gave Krillin a dull sense of superiority.

_I’m finally stronger than them._

“Please.” Scarface whimpered. “Let me live.”

Krillin’s eyes slowly went wide as this was the very last thing he thought he would ever hear out of the proud saiyans mouth.

“What?”

“Just let me leave. I’ll never appear before you again.”

Krillin gritted his teeth.

 “I swear it! I’m no threat to you!” said Scarface bowing his head so deeply that it hit the dirt.

Krillin could feel the stares of Tien and Chiaotzu waiting for him to make a move. Defending yourself from an attack is one thing but this saiyan had no intention of fighting back.

“A friend of mine would listen to you,” Krillin said his words almost surprising himself.

“He would probably make you promise never to harm anyone ever again. Even if you didn’t listen he would just hope you’d get stronger so he would get a better fight out of it. He’d let you live, with no strings attached. Then he’d go back to his loving wife, his caring son, and his warm house like nothing ever happened.”

Scarface lifted his head to meet the eyes of Krillin.

“But I’m not him.”

Tien and Chiaotzu watched as their friend raised his hand to Scarface’s head and began collecting energy in his palm.

“I’m not strong enough to be him.”

“Wait! Stop! I promise I’ll go! I promise I’ll never hurt anyone again!” Scarface begged, his movements becoming frantic and sporadic.

“No, you don’t. You’re just a killer; it’s in your blood.”

Scarface struggled to stand as Krillin’s words became clear. But Chiaotzu’s hold did not waver and the saiyan remained on his knees. Seeing no way of escaping alive Scarface did the only conceivable thing he could. He began to laugh.

“If I’m a killer, what does that make you?”

Krillin flinched but released the built-up energy into the saiyans face blasting his head clean off and letting the body flop onto the ground. Bile slowly rose from his stomach as he looked at the remains of Scarface. In the back of his mind, he knew that what he had killed was nothing more than an illusion and that he was still standing in the middle of the pendulum room. Yet that did little to comfort him.

Krillin turned to face his comrades but was blinded by a bright light that enveloped all three of them. Before long the familiar sensation of returning to Earth sunk into him as he slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by the sights and sounds of the lookout.

“What happened?” Yamcha said rubbing his head. “Did I die again?”

“Sorry Yamcha,” Chiaotzu answered hanging his head. “I thought we were done so I lost my grip and…”

“No worries squirt, we’ll get them next time.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Tien said stepping towards Kami who had been watching the fighters while they trained. “Not until we get some answers.”

Kami said nothing but did not look away from Tien’s glare.

“Whoa, calm down Tien this isn’t the first we lost.”

“But we didn’t lose, did we Krillin?”

Like Kami the monk said nothing.

“What are you talking about?” Yamcha said the light in his tone now gone.

“Krillin’s plan worked fine, you died due to Chiaotzu’s mistake. However, it seems like we didn’t even need a plan if Krillin can take down both of the saiyans by himself.”

The look of confusion Yamcha gave him made Krillin wish he could shrink into himself.

“So what is it Kami? Are you giving our ‘leader’ special training? Do you think only Krillin can handle it?”

“It wasn’t his decision,” Krillin said. “I disobeyed him.”

“Maybe you should explain what’s going on,” Tien said crossing his arms.

Krillin paused to look at Kami who looked just as conflicted as he felt.

“Fine.”

“Krillin, would you break your oath to me twice?” Kami said his grip on his staff tightening.

“They deserve to know Kami, just as I did.”

“Know what?” Chiaotzu asked.

Krillin stepped towards the exit motioning for the others to follow.

“How to get stronger.”

* * *

 

The warriors and Kami stood in front of the door leading to the hyperbolic time chamber.

“So this room slows down…time?” Yamcha asked, uncertain if he believed what his friend was saying.

“It’s in another dimension, so one day here is a year in there,” Krillin explained.

“That’s amazing!” Chiaotzu said his eyes lighting up with interest.

“So this is where you’ve been training without us?” Tien said to Krillin his anger still fresh.

“I went in only once, but yes.”

“Why’d you keep this a secret Kami?” Yamcha asked.

The green guardian sighed but went on.

“While this room will greatly enhance your training, however, the risk it brings isn’t worth any price.”

“Well Krillin came out looking fine, and anything he can handle we can too!” Yamcha said punching himself in the chest.

“You don’t-” Kami started but was cut off as Krillin spoke up.

“The gravity increases the deeper you go into the chamber but there’s food a washroom and beds so you have everything you need.”

“Sweet! We can get started right now!” Yamcha said eager to start.

“Are you coming Chiaotzu?”

“If you are Tien!”

The three entered the chamber with confidence and a purpose.

“You are making a mistake,” Kami said slowly as he watched the door close behind the three warriors.

“Sorry, but they should see for themselves what it’s like in there.”

“You should know better than anyone what the chamber is capable of.”

“I do, but I don’t think we could have talked our way out of this situation without showing them what they were missing.”

“That may be so but the risk is still very real, the chamber is too much for humans. They are in danger.”

Krillin was quiet for a moment as the pair stared at the door.

“Have you ever trained in this room Kami?”

“I have not, though I see a little-”

“It’s hell.”

As Kami watched Krillin he noticed that the monk had not broken his gaze from the door.

“I don’t remember everything but one thing I can recall is the pain. The constant pain of freezing, burning, being crushed, or even just losing the ability to breathe. I dreamed of leaving, I almost tore myself apart looking for a reprieve of any sort…But, I stayed.”

For the first time since he had dragged him out of the time chamber, the guardian looked at the monk. Not at his appearance but who he was and what made him Krillin, an ability he picked up as he studied the humans from afar. What he saw was not the same person he watched train yesterday.

Their silence was broken as the door to the time chamber flung open revealing Chiaotzu breathing heavily as if starved for breath.

“We…” was the last thing the smallest fighter said before he collapsed to the ground. Krillin walked over to him and checked his pulse before allowing himself to breathe.

“He’s fine, just exhausted.” He said as he picked him up and handed him to Kami.

“Mr. Popo!” Kami shouted and in seconds his helper was present.

“What on Earth happened?”

“A situation we are dealing with, please get him to bed for now.” The guardian said handing Mr. Popo the unconscious Chiaotzu.

“Of course Kami.”

Once Mr. Popo left Krillin and Kami shifted their focus to the door in front of them.

“I’ll go get them,” Krillin said gripping the doorknob.

“Are you certain?”

“Don’t really have much of a choice do I? They’re in there because of me.”

Without another word, Krillin stepped through with Kami following close behind. What he saw didn’t surprise him in the least. The beds had been used and the kitchen still had some food scattered about but as he stared out into the white he saw both Yamcha and Tien collapsed under the weight of the chamber’s gravity.

“They are too far out for me to fetch them. I cannot withstand that kind of pressure and carry them both.” Kami said his tone hard.

“That’s why I’m here.”

Krillin walked the steps out towards the white as the chamber smashed down on top of him. As he walked towards the pair he felt his lungs freeze up and his mind boil, conditions he forced himself to withstand during his training. Grabbing Tien by the leg and Yamcha by his shirt he slowly dragged his friends towards the exit.

_Their energy is weak, but they are alive._

Each step felt like a hundred and his breathing grew worse but he finally made it to the platform where the gravity was lighter.

“Their exhausted like Chiaotzu but some rest should fix that,” Krillin said as he picked up the two treating them like they were weightless.

It wasn’t until Krillin walked over to the beds and dropped off his friends did he relax.

“Three weeks.” Krillin heard Kami say.

“Huh?”

“You can measure how long someone has been here by looking at the hourglasses. They’ve been here three weeks.”

“That’s about what I expected.”

“You knew this would happen?”

“I had a guess. I remember collapsing around this time as well; it’s when I started dreaming about leaving.”

“But you stayed.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Do you think they will want to stay as well?” Kami asked feeling as though in this Krillin was the one with more knowledge.

“No, if Chiaotzu was in danger maybe Tien would, but he knows his limits. Which means Chiaotzu wouldn’t even bother. Yamcha however, doesn’t take anything seriously. Even this training he’s only been doing half-heartily.”

“You’ve been watching them.”

Krillin sighed.

“You were right when you said I didn’t know my friends.”

Kami fell silent as the conversation died but cast his gaze onto Krillin who stood watching his friends sleep. Before the guardian could say anything Tien stirred and slowly opened his eyes.

“What? Krillin?”

“Yeah, it’s me. How are you feeling?”

“Tired…where?”

“You’re still in the time chamber. Three weeks have passed.”

Tien’s eyes went wide and his next words were weak.

“Only…three? It felt… so much longer.”

“I know.”

“How long…were you in here?”

“…Four months.”

 “By…by yourself?

“Until Kami dragged me out.”

Tien tried to continue but Krillin stopped him.

“Don’t worry about it, sleep for now.”

“Chiaotzu…”

“Is fine, he’s with Mr. Popo. Now sleep, I’ll get you out of here.”

“…Thank you.”

Just talking used up the last of Tien’s strength as he fell back into bed. Silently Krillin picked up Tien while Kami lifted Yamcha. From there the two left the chamber and joined Mr. Popo to put the weary fighters to rest.

* * *

 

That night Krillin went through his basics on the lookout under the moonless sky. The practice was calming as Earth did not harbor the harsh conditions of the time chamber.

_If nothing else, it’s good to be back._

“I have some questions.” He heard Kami say appearing to his side as he had done time and time again.

“I’m sure you do,” Krillin responded ending his routine as he turned to face the guardian. His tone, however, did not please the guardian.

“Sorry.”

“Are you alright?”

Krillin sighed.

“Let me ask you something first. When Goku trained there what happened?”

Kami looked out as he tried to recall years ago.

“I wasn’t expecting him to last the full year but I wanted to measure how he would do in such a hostile place.”

“Did you have to take him out like me?”

“No, I informed him that a month had passed and that I believed he should leave. He agreed and we moved on.”

“Was he alone in there?”

“Yes.”

“But he was fine afterward wasn’t he? Happy he had so much time to train right?”

“He certainly was excited.”

Krillin sighed and sat down his feet dangling over the edge of the lookout. “I guess humans and saiyans are really different after all.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not surprised Goku could spend a month in there with no real problem he’s a saiyan. Fighting is what they love and all they really think about, Goku might not be like his brother but looking back I could always remember seeing him at his happiest when he was fighting someone strong.” Krillin said as he stared out into the night.

“But humans need interaction in their lives. You can’t just take away that social aspect or…something bad happens. And I guess that’s what happened to me.”

Kami paused as he stared at Krillin.

“You’ve aged.” The guardian said as if it were a revelation.

“My four months felt like four years. I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been and I need that if I’m going to lead this fight. But…I lost a part of myself in there. You were right, the risk wasn’t worth it. The only thing that kept me going in the chamber was the idea of beating the saiyans but somewhere along the way defeat became, kill. During the fight today it was easy…too easy to kill them. Even if they weren’t real, it should never be that simple. I…I don’t think I’m the same person anymore.”

The silence that followed was a cold one as Krillin was unable to meet Kami’s gaze.

“I didn’t have to kill them did I?” The monk said slowly. “I could have let them go like Goku would have. I could have done something else, anything else. But I…I didn’t. I killed them, and… I think I’m going to have to kill again. What does that make me?”

“Human.”

Krillin looked at Kami.

“Your conflict lies in that fact. You are human so you question, you wonder, you regret. However, is there not strength in that? In asking how to better yourself can you not become stronger? Isn’t that why you are here? To become strong?”

“I…”

“Remind yourself, why are you here?”

“…To keep my promise.”

“And what is this promise?”

To protect Gohan, to protect Chichi.”

“And what does that promise mean to you, a human?”

“…Everything.”

Kami smiled but his eyes betrayed that. “If I had the ability to spare you this fight I would do everything within my power to do so. Instead, it seems you have learned the lesson I have been forced to teach you.”

“What?”

“No one wins in war.”

Kami offered Krillin a hand, one that the monk took.

“You’re right,” Krillin said as he found his feet. “I can’t let this slow me down.”

“Then what is your next move?” Kami asked.

“I’m stronger but compared Raditz I’m still nothing. Even Scarface and Shorty can’t touch his power. However, my position as leader is safe, for now.”

“You believe the others will listen?”

“No, I have their attention but no doubt their pride's have been wounded to a degree. Experiencing the time chamber themselves was good but I’ve only got their attention, not their respect.”

“How do you know this?”

“I’ve been talking to them, trying to understand them a bit better.”

“What have you discovered?”

Krillin almost laughed.

“That aside from fighting we have absolutely nothing in common. They would listen to Goku but he would probably just tell them to leave everything to him. At this point, they might become angry that I was able to handle the time chamber better than they were.”

“Are you certain?”

“Well the last time we spent time together was when we traveled to Korin’s and the only thing we talked about them was getting stronger for the tournament. We didn’t even know about Piccolo, we were just training to better ourselves. It’s a hard truth that despite knowing these people for years unless it’s about martial arts there is little between us. However, I have a plan.”

“You do?”

“Since they respect strength so much, I’ll show them mine.”

“Show them? Are you just going to challenge them to fights until they listen?”

“Kami, they are martial artists. They’ll come to me.”


	8. Second Step

 

“I want to spar.”

Yamcha’s challenge didn’t surprise Krillin. Though he had expected it a little sooner. Two days had passed since the time chamber incident and the others have been keeping their distance. If it was how he dealt with Scarface or just being stronger that gave them pause he did not know. What did surprise him was that this was the first time Yamcha had talked to him one on one since he had mentioned his break up with Bulma.

“Why the sudden interest?” Krillin said cutting his shadow training short.

“Tien told me what happened after I died. I want to see if he was telling the truth.”

Krillin paused, though Yamcha had asked for a spar no doubt this would be an actual fight.

_He was weaker than me when we started, by now he must be frustrated._ “Alright.”

The two moved towards the center of the lookout. Catching the attention of Tien and Chiaotzu, who stopped their practice to watch.

“Don’t hold back,” Yamcha said with no humor in his voice.

Krillin said nothing in response. As the former bandit crouched into his favored stance he noticed that his friend had yet to do the same. He waited for Krillin to get ready but as the moments passed he realized that the monk intended to fight him without even a stance.

Yamcha had intended to let Krillin make the first strike and move from there but his anger got the better of him. Shooting towards his friend with his fist raised screamed his intentions but Krillin had yet to make a move. To any normal human, the attack would have been a blur and the power behind it would have knocked out if not killed anyone in its path. But to Krillin, this punch was slow, and it was weak. Catching the strike was easy; shoving his elbow into Yamcha’s chest was easier forcing him to take a step back, stunned. If this was a real fight Krillin would have chased Yamcha down ready to attack again, but instead, he let Yamcha recover, get his breath back and find his stance. This did not go unnoticed by the former bandit and only served to fuel his anger even more. He attacked again with more power but less precision. Krillin was more than prepared for this and countered with a quick punch to the face that landed with a solid thud. Again, Yamcha was forced back and again Krillin allowed his friend a chance to recover.

Deciding he should change his tactics Yamcha jumped back to give himself some room. Gathering his energy into the palm of his left hand Yamcha molded his ki into the shape of a small ball.

“Hope you’re ready for this.” He said with a smirk.

Again Krillin had no reply.

Tossing the ball of energy towards his opponent Krillin was hardly surprised when the ball changed direction at the last second. Controlling the sphere from a distance was not something new as he had seen Yamcha use this move over and over again during the fights with the saiyans. Watching the ball dart around trying to confuse had no effect as Krillin already knew his friend’s pattern. Feeling no need to even follow the sphere with his eyes as he already knew that the attack would come at him from the right. So when Yamcha sent an attack hurtling towards Krillin’s unprotected rib it was easy to grab the ki ball with one hand and crush the energy as if popping a small balloon. This quickly wiped away the smirk Yamcha was wearing from his face.

Once more Krillin remained quiet. This had Yamcha red in the face as he squatted down in a familiar position.

“Ka.”

 “Yamcha stop this is just a practice fight!” Tien said hoping to convince his enraged friend.

“Me.”

“We don’t want to hurt anybody!”

“Ha.”

Seeing as how he wasn’t getting through Tien grabbed Chiaotzu and retreated into the lookout. Yajirobi continued to eat his chips under a palm tree.

“Me.”

Krillin looked at Yamcha his friend who was overcome with anger. Yet the monk found more telling things in the small details. The way Yamcha’s stance was slightly off, his way of rushing through the words of the attack, and how his hands were shaking as he gathered his ki all told Krillin that his suspicions were true.

_He didn’t practice at all during the past five years_

 “HA!”

Krillin’s train of thought crashed as a bright blue light exploded out from Yamcha’s hands. Krillin wasn’t often on the receiving end of the Kamehameha wave so the monk took a moment to admire the blast of pure ki energy, before backhanding the beam off of the lookout. As the light the attack produced faded and died the look of shock on Yamcha’s face was replaced by fury. But instead of attacking again the bandit just turned around and left the center of the lookout. Tien returned with Chiaotzu as Yamcha walked past them, Chiaotzu having to float to the left so he did not crash into his angry friend.

“What happened here?” Tien asked Krillin who had wasted no time walking after Yamcha.

“I won the spar.”

“He looked mad,” Chiaotzu said with concern in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m going to go talk to him.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Tien said. “Maybe it’s better to just let him cool off.”

“No, I think it’s time he stopped avoiding me.”

Pushing past the duo Krillin made his way to the wing of the lookout that held the individual rooms the warriors had been using to rest and relax. Noticing that the door to Yamcha’s room was open he stepped in and found his friend lying on his bed looking at the ceiling.

“Come to gloat?”

“Why would I do that?”

Yamcha sat up. “Well, you won the fight.”

Krillin was quick with a response. “That wasn’t a fight. It’d be hard to call that exercise.”

Yamcha’s eyes went wide with surprise. In the years he had known Krillin he had never heard him insult anyone.

“Let me ask you something,” Krillin said giving Yamcha no time to gather his thoughts. “Was that your best? If it is then you’re even weaker than I thought.”

Now standing up and unsure if he had ever been this angry at anyone before Yamcha spat back. “You think just because Kami named you leader gives you the right-”

“Of course it does,” Krillin said cutting his friend off

Aflame with rage Yamcha grabbed Krillin by the shirt of his gi and lifted him up off the ground. Krillin did not move a muscle.

“You think you’re so great? Just because you trained in the time chamber longer than me doesn’t mean-”

“I could have beaten you like that months before we got here.”

Yamcha flinched. “I don’t believe you.”

“Oh really, did you practice martial arts during the five years we didn’t talk to each other? Or were you too busy playing baseball?”

“It’s not like you’re any better! I bet you slacked off just as much!”

“No, I didn’t.”

As he said this Krillin pulled out some ki; using just enough to force his friend to let go of his shirt.

“I practiced every day. Though I didn’t get any stronger I made sure that I wasn’t going backward. You’ve gotten weak Yamcha and it’s going to get you killed.”

Yamcha opened his mouth prepared to defend himself but again he was denied this.

“Why did you cheat on Bulma?”

Of all the things Yamcha wanted to talk about to anybody, this was the last on his list and it showed as the longhaired warrior flushed pink.

“Wha…what does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s what’s distracted you ever since I asked the first time. Do you think you can just laze your way through this training without anyone noticing?”

“I’m not-”

“If you can’t focus then you’ll just end up dead before the fight even starts you know that right? Is that what you want? To die pointlessly?”

 Again Yamcha flinched and he was slow to recover his hand slowly becoming a fist. “That’s not-”

“Some of us are fighting because there’s more at stake than just our relationship problems. You know if we die humanity is going to follow right? We lose and everything is gone.”

Yamcha was shaking his fist slowly becoming a weapon.

“So why’d you cheat Yamcha? Bulma’s great, everyone knows that and you two were good together. So why’d you do it? Didn’t you love her?”

“SHUT UP!”

Yamcha’s punch knocked the monk out of the room and laid him flat against the wall outside.

“At least I can get a girlfriend you short, bald, freak! Unlike you, I wasn’t spending all my time with an old man and a turtle! I actually had a future!”

Krillin watched his friend panting like he had run for miles slowly realize what he had just done.

“I…I didn’t mean that.”

Slowly getting to his feet Krillin grinned before asking. “Feel better?”

The former bandit blinked, his surprise getting the better of him.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be so patient. I honestly thought you would crack a little sooner than that.”

“You…you wanted me to punch you?”

“Well I wasn’t looking forward to it but I’m glad you didn’t kick me instead.”

The lightness of the tone and the goofy face Krillin was making as he nursed his bruised cheek caused the bandit to laugh out loud.

“You’re crazy you know that.”

“We’ll have to be a little crazy if we’re going to pull this off.”

“I guess so.”

“That means I’m going to need your help.”

Yamcha sighed. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Do you? I’m serious about the scale of this fight. You need to be at your best.”

“I know that alright! It’s just…hard. I messed up pretty badly.”

“With Bulma?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why don’t you talk to her?”

Yamcha’s face twisted in mock terror.

“Are you serious? That’s a horrible idea.”

“Why?”

“She’s….Bulma….she doesn’t get me! It’s all about what she wants and it doesn’t matter what she has to do! She’s talking about marriage and kids like it’s nothing and here I am not even sure what I’m going to have for dinner! She’s impossible! Completely and utterly impossible!”

“Can’t you just tell her that?” Krillin said a matter of fact tone coming out clearly.

Yamcha paused. “I don’t think she’d take that well.”

“What’s the harm? We could be dead in half a year, why wait?”

 When Yamcha didn’t answer Krillin placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Look, I might be the last guy you want giving you relationship advice but this is only going to get worse if you do nothing. We might live through this or we might die, but we deserve to go into this fight with a clear conscious. That means being able to say everything we have to before the final hour.”

A moment passed before Yamcha sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes as if exhausted.

“Okay, might as well give the truth a shot.”

“Good to hear.”

“I’m sorry…about what I said.”

“If you really want to apologize show me how to talk to girls when this is over.”

Yamcha smiled his trademark grin, which was more than a welcome sight for his friend.

“I’m not a miracle worker…but I’ll try.”

“And I’ll hold you to that.”

Feeling that he had said all he needed to Krillin left Yamcha with his thoughts. Making his way back to the outside he was greeted by Tien and Chiaotzu.

“You okay? We heard some shouting.” Tien said his small companion floating near.

“I’m fine we just talked a bit.”

“He seemed really mad.” Chiaotzu chimed in.

“I had to make him mad if he was going to talk to me.”

“You meant to do that?”

“Yeah, did you just think I’m a different person just because I got stronger?”

Krillin’s friends said nothing clearly not wanting to talk about this subject.

“You were kind of scary when you were fighting in the pendulum room.” Chiaotzu squeaked out.

_So that’s why they’ve been avoiding me._

“I’m…sorry about that. The time chamber…kind of messed with my head.”

“I understand, staying in there for as long as you did must have been torture. I can’t even imagine remaining there for the full year.”

_Leave it to Tien to listen to reason._

“Putting that aside I think it’s my turn for a spar.”

There was no preparation this time, no signal to start, and no time to prepare. As soon as Tien had finished his sentence he was on the attack.

_He does have a one track mind though._

Krillin thought as he avoided his friend’s first strike as well as the two that followed.

Though he was better at hiding his frustration than Yamcha the three-eyed warrior was unsure how he felt about Krillin’s position. He had always had a degree of respect towards the short monk over the years. Watching his fights during the tournaments especially the one against Piccolo had shown Tien that Krillin possessed a large amount of skill and intellect. He was genially impressed with Krillin’s ability to mimic techniques and use them as his own. With Goku training elsewhere it was nice to have someone who could keep up with him.

Stopping a kick with his forearm Krillin countered with a punch. The strike collided with Tien’s face and the impact whipped his nose in a completely wrong direction. Tien answered with an uppercut that gracefully flew over the monk’s shoulder leaving his ribs exposed. Krillin lunged at the opportunity which was nothing more than a trap, as Tien had left himself enough room to weave past the monk’s defenses and take his back.

Not wasting a moment Tien whipped a kick to the back of Krillin’s head, with the follow-through sending the monk flying to the ground. However, Krillin placed his hands in front of himself and flipped back to his feet.

“Wow, you got me good,” Krillin said rolling his head.

“Doesn’t look like it.”

The monk grinned for a moment before propelling himself forward at a speed unachievable three days ago. Unable able to follow this acceleration Tien felt his friend’s fist bury itself into his stomach that forced him to bend down, Leaving Krillin free to follow with a short uppercut that snapped Tien’s chin upward. Recovering quickly Tien responded with a palm strike that hit Krillin dead in the chest. Yet again the monk seemed unaffected as he shook off the hit and shoved his knee into Tien’s already damaged chin. The resulting pain brought Tien to a knee, panting, and dizzy. This meant his guard dropped and Krillin let a punch rip through the air to crunch against the three-eyed warrior’s face.

His head flinging backward from the force of the punch had Tien landing on his side. Finding his footing Tien sped towards Krillin with the clash shaking the lookout. Chiaotzu watched the fight barely able to keep up with the speed but was happily cheering Tien on.

“Come on Tien you can do it!”

He was so absorbed in the fight that he didn’t sense Yamcha standing next to him until he spoke.

“Geez, they’re fast.”

The two martial artists followed the blurs that were their friends each impact vibrating the ground under their feet. As time passed it slowly became apparent that it was Krillin who had the upper hand. Chiaotzu’s cheers became more frantic as Tien began to lose ground and energy.

“He’s gotten so much stronger,” Yamcha said more to himself than to his friend.

“Krillin? I guess, but Tien’s better!”

“You don’t think Krillin’s going to win?”

“No way! He cheats!”

“How so?”

“He steals people’s techniques and tricks them into losing. Plus he’s bald!”

“That is true, I guess, especially the last part,” Yamcha said with a laugh. “But maybe we’ll need a leader like that if we plan to survive.”

Dodging a dangerous kick Tien jumped back hoping to gain some distance. However, this move was pointless as Krillin caught up in an instant. Ducking under a desperate punch the monk smashed his leg against Tien’s ankle tripping him. Moving faster than his friend could react Krillin grabbed Tien’s arm and swung him around twice before letting him go. Tien bounced once against the lookout before regaining his balance and watched as Krillin sped towards him again. Clapping his hands together Tien summoned his ki and moved his fingers into a triangle. He let a quick smirk dance across his face as he released the energy.

“Tri-beam!”

Krillin saw the blast barreling towards him and stopped short.

_Guess I’ll show them something new._

Stretching out his arm and uncurling his fist Krillin generated a sphere of ki as Tien’s attack charged closer. Krillin began to spin the sphere keeping it in suspended over his palm. As the sphere spun it also began to flatten more and more.

“What’s Krillin doing?” Chiaotzu asked more hoping whatever the monk was trying would fail.

“I don’t know.”

Picking up even more speed the sphere had morphed into a disc and the smile Krillin wore became a grin.

_Please work._

Whipping his arm towards the mountain of ki Krillin threw his energy disc and watched it slice through the air with ease. The collision of the two ki attacks lasted only a moment as the disc severed the tri-beam in half. Finding his lost momentum Krillin followed his disc straight through, toward his speechless sparring partner. Barely dodging the ki disc Tien had no time to avoid Krillin’s devastating gut punch and collapsed onto his knees. Flicking his hand toward his friend’s head Krillin started generating energy and waited for surrender.

_I…I won! I really won!_

Despite his mind going crazy with celebration, Krillin forced himself to keep a calm poker face.

_No, I knew what I was up against and he had no idea. This wasn’t a fair fight. I guess in the end-_

“You cheated!”

Krillin flinched as a cry from Chiaotzu caught his attention.

“That wasn’t fair at all!” The small martial artist yelled as he floated over. “Tien would have won if you hadn’t-”

“Chiaotzu, enough.”

The small martial artist was cut off by his closest friend who raised his head above Krillin’s ki gathered palm.

“I lost.”

“But Tien-”

“No buts, it was a good fight.”

Krillin out down his arm and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

_Wasn’t sure that would work out… Now it’s my turn._

“I’m sorry.”

Their friend’s soft-spoken apology was almost missed by Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu. They were able to watch as Krillin bowed, bringing his head lower than Chiaotzu stood.

“I should have told you that Kami had named me leader sooner. But I was worried that no one would respect me.”

The martial artists said nothing as they waited for the monk to continue.

“I can’t do this alone. I need your help, I need you to listen to me, and I need your strength.”

Standing back up Krillin looked at his friends.

“Will you fight with me?”

There was a brief silence on the lookout before it was broken with resounding laughter.

“Oh man, you sounded so corny,” Yamcha said wiping his eyes.

“I have to agree,” Tien said trying to hold back his laughter.

Chiaotzu might have said something to if he wasn’t busy holding his sides.

“I thought it sounded cool,” Krillin said folding his arms in a huff.

“Though to be frank, you should have led with that,” Tien said as the laughter finally died down.

“We would have understood, eventually.” Yamcha chimed in. “Even if you do cheat, we still like you.”

Krillin beamed feeling the two-month weight lift off of his shoulders. “Thanks, gu-”

*munch*

The sound of a chip being snapped in half cut Krillin off, the monk wasn’t surprised as the heavy samurai had somehow found another bag of chips to eat. “So, you guys done fighting?”

“It would appear so.”

The warriors turned to see Kami walking towards them with Mr. Popo following close behind.

“I am glad to see you all finally united. Though I must also offer an apology as well for keeping my share of secrets.”

 “We can go on forever like this,” Yamcha said ready to get back to fighting.

Kami allowed a brief smile before motioning the group to follow him. The martial artists were silently led back into the familiar pendulum room.

“Are we fighting Scarface and Shorty again?” Krillin asked wondering if he and his friends hadn’t proved themselves already.

“No,” Kami said slowly. “You’ll be fighting an opponent that you are required to overcome if you wish to stand any chance against the coming danger.”

Understanding that was all they were going to get in terms of preparation the warriors made their way to the center of the room as they had so many times before. Yajirobi took his place outside of the circle and sat down, his bag of chips demanding his attention. Closing their eyes they were overcome by the blinding light and cast into the unknown.

“What the?”

Krillin opened his eyes to Yamcha’s confusion and quickly joined him as his eyes gazed over not the shattered red planet they had been training on but an open green field with a blue sky overhead.

“This is, Earth?” Tien said waiting to be corrected.

“What are we doing here?” said Chiaotzu.

“It doesn’t matter,” Krillin said to the others. “Kami sent us here because there is someone to fight. So let’s get ready while we can, scan the area for any energy sources and stick together.”

Despite his friends accepting him as their leader a part of him expected some resistance.

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

“No problem.”

He had never been so happy to be wrong. Focusing his own energy Krillin closed his eyes and cast his gaze over the surrounding area searching for their opponent. Though when he found it Krillin wished he hadn’t, the energy was easy to recognize as the day he first felt it.

“I got something!” Chiaotzu shouted.

“Same here, it's flying towards us at a high speed.”

“Do you think it’s a saiyan?” Yamcha asked.

Before any of his friends could answer Tien’s head went skyward as the outline of a man slowly came into focus.

“Saiyan or not they’re here.”

Despite Krillin already knowing what to expect was shocked once more as he felt a choking killing intent consume him.

As the alien touched down standing as a short distance from the earthlings Krillin could feel a familiar sense of fear seep into him. The space warrior was unchanged from the first moment Krillin had seen him. Though dead in reality that didn’t make him any less horrifying in the room where the past, present, and future blur.

“Raditz.”

“Oh?” The saiyan sneered. “I see there is no reason to introduce myself.”

“That’s Raditz?” Yamcha exclaimed before falling into a whisper. “That’s Goku’s brother?”

“And the one who killed him.”

“Then what do you want us to do?” Tien asked.

Krillin’s mind was blank. His victory against Scarface and Shorty had his confidence at a height previously unknown. He was faster, stronger, and was in control but only now did the weight of responsibility begin to crush him. His focus wavered and his hands began to shake.

_Looks like I’m still scared, even after the chamber._

Slowly, Krillin flowed into his favored stance before talking.

“Tien, blind him just like last time. If that works go for the tail if not the second priority is the scouter. Without it, he can’t find us. Chiaotzu try to stop his heart, I have a feeling that’s going to be harder than against Scarface and Shorty. Keep out of sight and do what you can, if things go bad, cover us. Yamcha you’ll be with me. I’m looking for an opportunity to cut off an arm or a leg, give me one. Everyone ready?”

The silent nod he received acted as a gunshot as Krillin and Yamcha blasted towards the saiyan who welcomed their challenge with a grin.

“Wolf Fang Fist!”

The former bandit struck hard and fast his hands cloaked with ki. He was stopped with no visible effort as the saiyan snatched his wrists out of the air as if they were still. Raditz smashing his skull against Yamcha’s brought the scarred warrior to his knees.

“Pitiful.”

A wild punch from Krillin had Raditz drop Yamcha and back up a step but he returned with a kick that almost torn the monk in half. Landing on the small of his back Krillin forced his balance and started to generate his ki disc.

“Oh? It seems one of you-”

“Solar Flare!”

Krillin closed his eyes seconds before the following burst of light stole the saiyan of his sight. When he opened them Tien was on his side clutching his stomach with Raditz's boot planted firmly on his head.

“Clever. But you’ll have to be faster than-”

Suddenly Raditz dropped to one knee his foot removed from Tien’s head his hand grasping his heart.

“What? What is this?”

Krillin recognized the symptoms and quickly thanked Chiaotzu before forming his deadliest attack. Before Raditz could get another word Krillin threw his disc. Still distracted by the intense pain the saiyan didn’t react to energy saucer until it was too late to dodge. Hoping to destroy the attack with a swipe of his hand Raditz only realized he had underestimated his opponents when his right hand had been severed. Grabbing what remained of his wrist Raditz’s face twisted with hatred his eyes aflame with desire for revenge. As his blood spurted out along his remaining hand the saiyan turned toward Krillin.

“How dare-”

The warrior from space was cut off as his scouter exploded off of his face. Turning his head Raditz saw Yamcha recovered and able to shoot a small beam of ki with enough power to destroy the device.

“Forget about me?”

Too angry to answer Raditz snarled and threw himself towards Yamcha. However, he was stopped once again as Tien had recovered, snuck up on his blind spot and grabbed the saiyan’s tail before he could do any more damage.

“YOU!” Falling to a knee the space warrior could do nothing as his strength faded.

“Nice!” Krillin shouted his excitement getting the better of him.

Now that the battle was over the fighters converged while Tien kept a tight grip on Raditz’s tail.

“Alright! Another win for us!” Yamcha said raising his fist. “That was even easier than last time!”

“It seems that you fit into the leadership position nicely Krillin,” Tien said.

“You think so?” Krillin replied a soft smile growing on his face.

“Of course! We keep this up and we won’t even need Goku to help.” Yamcha said proudly.

_If only I could believe that._ Krillin thought choosing not to speak his mind. Instead, he was about finish the fight hoping this training session was the same as the previous one. To his surprise, he could feel the familiar light creep up beneath him.

_Oh, I guess that was enough for Kami._

Closing his eyes Krillin looked forward to emerging in the pendulum room. However, the feeling of weightlessness he expected wasn’t coming, instead, the light quickly died as if it were never there. Confused Krillin opened his eyes to see that he was still in the same spot with Raditz standing right in front of him.

“Hello there.”

Krillin’s blood ran cold as he spotted Tien on the ground not moving the others just as disturbed as he was.

_What happened?_

Without an answer or any more time to think Krillin threw a swift punch to defend himself, it was easily knocked away. Raditz smiled before grabbing Krillin’s head with his remaining hand.

 “Thank you for leaving me one hand,” Raditz said as his fingers started to dig into Krillin’s skull.

“Now I can use it to crush your little head.”

 “Get away from him!” Yamcha yelled charging the saiyan. Raditz responded with a hard kick that ruined him inside and out. Bouncing off the ground the former bandit lost his lunch as he clutched his ruptured stomach.

“You humans thought you won didn’t you? Worms! I am a saiyan warrior! Strongest in the galaxy! You’ll beg for your lives when I’m don-”

Raditz was cut off as an explosion detonated at point blank range. Krillin’s hand still smoking the saiyan’s grip on his head of slipped and the monk landed on his feet.

“CHIAOTZU!” Krillin screamed.

The smallest fighter turned, his full attention given to his friend.

“Crush it!”

Chiaotzu’s face fell and grew whiter than usual as Krillin’s words sunk in. Had his friends asked him of this months ago the cry for help might have been ignored. However, it was this instant that Chiaotzu realized that his abilities were needed and there could be little doubt that a request like this would be asked again in the coming battle. Without wasting another moment Chiaotzu reached out with both hands and mind. Once again finding Raditz’s heart he gripped the organ and watched as the alien froze.

“You piece of filth! It was you!” Raditz swore as his eyes met Chiaotzu’s allowing the martial artist a brief glimpse of the depths of his hatred.

“DO IT!”

The order from Krillin was the last piece of encouragement as Chiaotzu’s hands clamped shut into a tight fist. Raditz’s twitched as his eyes went wide then faded. Dribbles of blood fell from his mouth staining the green grass before the saiyan collapsed to the ground, dead.

_Did…did we win?_

Krillin blinked wondering if what he was seeing would vanish if he closed his eyes for too long. He looked around to see both Tien and Yamcha on the ground lying there, completely still.

_No, we didn’t._

Walking over to Chiaotzu Krillin could see his eyes were distant and hollow. Despite this exercise being an illusion the feeling of killing was simply too realistic to separate from reality.

“Hey,” Krillin said as he placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You saved me. Don’t forget that.”

Chiaotzu nodded and said nothing but that was enough for Krillin. A bright light blinded the two remaining friends as the green grass and blue sky melted away. Before long the martial artists were standing back in the pendulum room.

“Welcome back,” Kami said with Mr. Popo standing by his side.

 “What happened there Kami?” Tien said. “I thought we had won without much trouble but when the light faded we were back in the fight like nothing had happened.”

“If I had allowed you that victory you might not have realized that you were relying on one strategy too much. I wanted to see if you could be victorious even without that same tactic.”

“You didn’t think we could win without grabbing Raditz’s tail?” Yamcha asked already having recovered from the battle.

“No.” Mr. Popo said with Kami nodding his agreement.

“At least you’re honest.”

“There should be no more secrets between us,” Kami said before turning his attention to Krillin. “Do you have something to add?”

Krillin did though how Kami knew that he did not know.

“Saiyans grew weaker when their tails were grabbed. Was Raditz different? He didn’t seem to care as much as Shorty and Scarface.”

“He was not. In fact, in their battle, Piccolo and Goku used the same tactic and it would have worked flawlessly save for one problem.”

“What happened?” Chiaotzu said floating closer.

“Goku’s good nature got the better of him. The rest you know.”

 “You wanted to see how we would adapt to a new situation.”

“Correct. Did Goku not find a way to overcome this very weakness through his own training? How can we know if these saiyans haven’t done the same?”

Recalling his first and only tournament fight with Goku Krillin remembered how confident he was after grabbing his friend’s tail. Only to be flipped onto his butt and soundly beaten. “Have you ever trained a tail before? It’s really hard.”

_Typical Goku_ Krillin smiled as the memory faded.

“So *munch* now what?” Yajirobi said through a mouthful of chips.

“You will continue to train here until the day comes that you must fight,” Kami said his tone growing serious. “Are you prepared for that?”

Krillin’s smile grew. As he already knew everyone’s answer.


	9. Homecoming

 

The pendulum room was as quiet as it could be while the group of martial artists watched the smallest of them standing in the center surrounded by the red glowing circle. It had been over fifteen minutes since Chiaotzu went to fight Raditz by himself just as the others had done over the course of three months.

“How do you think he’s doing?” Yamcha asked leaning over to whisper to Krillin.

“He’s fine,” Tien answered before Krillin had a chance to.

“Oh yeah, I’m sure he is.” Yamcha laughed nervously. “But I mean he has been in there a while.”

“He’s fine,” Tien said again and that was the end of it.

The silence continued for another minute until Chiaotzu slowly opened his eyes and blinked to adjust to his new surroundings.

“How’d it go?” Krillin asked.

The smallest fighter smiled.

“No problem.”

“Alright! Now none of us have a problem beating that lousy saiyan!” said Yamcha.

“Well almost all of us,” Tien said as his eyes fell upon Yajirobi who as always stayed in the back eating another bag of chips.

“I *munch* heard that!”

“So, what now?” asked Chiaotzu.

  _Good question_ Krillin thought.

For the past three months, the warriors had been working together and separately using the pendulum room for the majority of their training. Fighting Raditz alone was the final obstacle. It had taken most of the three months which were filled with nonstop training before they could reach this point.

_But will this be enough?_

“Ah, I see you are finished.”

Kami’s familiar voice brought Krillin back to reality.

“Rest if you must, but join me outside when you are ready.”

Before a response could be made the guardian made his exit.

“What do you think he wants us to do now?” Yamcha asked.

“Hopefully it will help us with our training,” Tien said.

“I’m hoping *munch* it’s about dinner. I’m starved.”

After a quick nap and shower, Krillin made his way to the center of the lookout where he realized he was the last to arrive.

“Morning, glad you could join us.” Yamcha laughed.

“Even the strongest warriors need their shuteye,” Krillin said quoting his master.

Kami coughed and the two friends quickly stopped their mouths.

“Gentleman Mr. Popo and I are both very pleased with the progress you have made here. Each of you has reached a new level of strength and technique and for that I thank you. However, the time has come for you to return to Earth.”

Surprise ran through the martial artists but before they could voice it Kami raised his hand to silence them.

“Simply put at this point you have all grown more powerful than the lookout itself.”

“What do you mean Kami?” Yamcha asked.

“The pendulum room is a place that takes both the imagination of the user and the history of Earth. This is how you were able to face saiyans you did not recognize as they were plucked from your collective unconscious.” Kami said his tone growing serious.

“That’s crazy!” Chiaotzu squeaked.

“True but this also limits the pendulum room to the experiences of the user and Earth. This means that the room cannot produce an opponent more challenging than Raditz which you have all defeated.”

“So what’s our next move?” said Krillin.

“I believe you should meet up with the others who will be fighting alongside you.”

Though Kami didn’t say any names there was no question who he was talking about.

“You’re talking about Piccolo,” Krillin said, slowly.

“Yes.”

“Kami maybe this isn’t the best idea. The last time we met Piccolo he did threaten to kill all of us.” said Tien “Perhaps we should train on our own and then come together when the saiyans arrive.”

“That sounds good to me,” said Yamcha.

“Yeah, plus Piccolo is scary.” Chiaotzu squeaked.

Kami sighed.

“I understand your doubts. However, we all have a stake in this fight and that includes my other half. You will need him in this fight. Just as you will need Goku’s son for his power.”

_Gohan_

 “The two have been training together but for you to stand a chance then all of you must practice as one. Just as you have been doing on the lookout.”

The silence that followed was uncomfortable, all the more for Krillin who was forced to break it.

“He’s right.” The monk said. “We’ll have to work with Piccolo and show him how to work with us.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Yamcha said. “So how do you want to do it?”

“I think you guys should take the next three days off,” Krillin said after taking a second to think. “I’ll find them first and then I’ll signal for the rest of you to join me.”

“Do you think that’s wise? Going in alone?” Tien asked.

“If we all show up he might sense us and leave before we can talk. With just one of us then they will probably have a better chance of getting a word in.”

“Are you sure?” Chiaotzu said. “What if he attacks you?”

“Then I’ll fight back,” Krillin said confidently, though his answer didn’t seem to sway his friends.

“I’ll be fine plus they are probably training out in the wasteland so we’ll need a day to pack everything anyway.”

“Fine, I still don’t like it though,” said Yamcha.

Before long the group had gathered up their belongings, said their goodbye to both Kami and Mr. Popo, and then left the lookout for their homes. All save for Krillin who remained.

“I have some questions Kami.”

“I’m sure you do.” The guardian replied, shaking off the direct quote Krillin continued.

 “Gohan how is he?”

Kami looked surprised. “You haven’t asked about him before.”

“No, I didn’t think I had that right.”

“Oh?”

“I lost it after my fight with Piccolo. He was correct at the time; I wouldn’t have done Gohan any favors by training him.”

“Has that changed, now?” Kami asked.

“I’m…not sure. But we are out of time since he’s being forced to fight then his best chance to survive is if we all work together, Piccolo included.”

Kami nodded once.

“I understand, as for your question Gohan is fine.”

Krillin let out a long breath of air a grin spreading across his face.

“Good, good.”

“Yes, his training is progressing well. He’s grown quite powerful in these past few months.”

Hearing this, the monk’s grin slipped and faded.

_A child shouldn’t have to be powerful._

A moment passed before Krillin spoke again. “I have one more question.”

Kami nodded giving the monk his full attention.

“Should I go back into the time chamber?”

Kami’s response was quick. “No. Do you disagree?”

 “I need to know Kami, I need to know if what I’m doing is the best way to do this. The chamber could help me win this fight. If I could go in there and last the full year I’ll be better prepared, stronger, and ready to fight. If I fail everyone could die, just because I couldn’t sacrifice enough. Am I making all the wrong choices?”

“The chamber tears away your very being in exchange for strength. If you go back you may gain more power but if you remain for the full year you will lose your humanity or your life. If you survive you will become no better than the enemy we are fighting.”

 “But I could get stronger! Strong enough to save Gohan, Chichi, everyone!”

 For a long time, Kami was silent; the guardian of the lookout closed his eyes as he spoke his words coming out slow and heavy.

 “Krillin, what do you know of the King Piccolo wars?”

The monk blinked his surprise at the question.

“Master Roshi told me about them. He-”

“Did he tell you how many people died?”

 “…No.”

“Millions.”

 Krillin could say nothing. In truth, his Master Roshi had told him about the war but only after months of asking and several cases of beer. When he had the hermit’s eyes were distant and hollow, a look he had never seen his master wear before but one he understands now.

 “I was unable to offer aid during those years. I was forced to stay on the lookout, look down, and listen. I heard the cries but could do nothing, just as I can do nothing for this battle.”

As he talked Kami slowly walked away from Krillin who followed wordlessly, the two came to the edge of the lookout and Kami continued.

“Over the years after Earth had been rebuilt the war faded from memory. But I haven’t forgotten. I watched as humanity began again taking their peace for granted as they grew more and more selfish. The legend of the dragonballs was intended to inspire bravery among humanity and yet the wishes never went beyond money or power. When Shenron was killed I did not plan on reviving the dragon as I believed they would be found by humans who would use the wishes for themselves. Instead of healing the damage my counterpart caused.”

Slowly Kami turned to face Krillin, something he had avoided during his story up to this point. The monk was forced to stare down into the old teacher’s eyes and see how deep they went.

“It was Goku who convinced me otherwise.”

“Goku did?” Krillin said surprised.

“Yes, I had been watching him for some time, he is quite hard to ignore.”

“Yeah, that’s Goku for you.”

 “It was his use of the dragon that swayed me. Always placing the happiness of others before his own needs, while also content with just the more basic things in life with no need for money or power. I began to believe that humanity deserved the hope that the dragonballs provided. However, as we now know, Goku is not human.”

Kami looked away and began to walk with Krillin following silently.

 “I offered Goku my position as guardian believing that a human had surpassed me in both strength and spirit. Goku is an amazing being wielding both unfathomable power and a heart as clear as crystal. But he is not human.”

“So you went back to believing that humans were selfish.”

“During the war, King Piccolo was only defeated by the actions of a human. However, since then it was only Goku who I could trust to defend this planet. Only Goku I trained, but this threat cannot be overcome by him alone. I was unsure if I could place my faith in humans once more.”

“That explains why you held back our training for the first few months. What does that have to do with my question?”

The two reached the edge of the lookout and both cast their gaze outward for a moment.

“Everything, since it is you that has restored my faith in humanity,” Kami said finally looking back to face the monk.

“What?” Krillin asked.

“You may not realize it but your actions since Goku’s death reflect those of your master’s master.”

 “Master Mutaito,” Krillin said recalling the story he was told by Roshi. 

“Earth’s first savior,” Kami answered. “He bested my counterpart when I could not. A feat neither I nor Piccolo had ever believed a human capable of. In truth, I believe he triumphed due to the same error the saiyans will make.”

“What?”

 “They will underestimate the earthlings, they will underestimate you.”

“…Will that be enough? Even if there’s a small chance the chamber could help I should take it, right?”

“I do not know. But I will not have a friend destroy himself for a possibility.”

Krillin paused.

“Friend?”

“Did you believe you weren’t?” Kami said with a small smile.

 Krillin laughed unable to hide his surprise at the idea of befriending God.

“Okay Kami. I won’t use the chamber. I’m sorry I’ve been asking all of these questions.”

“Worry not, though I knew you would. After all, that’s what you humans do.”

* * *

 

Hours later Krillin landed just outside of the Kame house carrying the same suitcase he had brought to the lookout. After his talk with Kami Krillin had thanked him for his time, packed his things, and left just as the others had done. Returning home it was hard to imagine he had trained in another dimension or lived on a floating half sphere connected to Earth only by Goku’s staff.

_Glad I was able to get something out of the trip too._

Krillin had gained both impressive power increase as well as the hard-earned trust of his friends. Though he would use the time left to prepare for now he was glad to return to the small quiet house on the island.

“You can’t make me!” Krillin heard a very distressed Turtle cry out.

“Come on you coward it’s dinner time! Sit down and eat!” This time it was Master Roshi.

With a new sense of caution, Krillin slowly opened the door to his home. What he saw gave a new meaning to word disgusting. In the six months, he had been gone it seemed that the Kame house had fallen to ruin. Months of laundry building up in one unfortunate corner with what appeared to be a failed attempt at lunch still smeared on the opposite wall. The living room seemed to be too lived in with scattered plates and utensils tossed around both used and unused. The couch was covered in a mixture of laundry and crumbs as well as a pillow and blanket that seemed at a perfect angle for watching the TV. While the sight was appalling the smell that crept into Krillin was worse forcing a cough out of the bald martial artist. This caught the attention of both residents of the Kame House Turtle who has tried to flee into the bathroom trying to escape Master Roshi who had grabbed both of his legs and attempting to drag him to the dinner table. The two turned to see Krillin with his suitcase who instead of offering a simple greeting could only voice the most prominent thing on his mind.

“What happened here?”

“Krillin you’ve returned!”

Dropping his grip on Turtle Master Roshi raced over and gave his student a great hug. Normally the gesture would be touching but unfortunately for Krillin, his Master smelled quite badly and his nostrils were filled with an odor only an old man could wear.

“Ugh, what’s that smell?”

Krillin turned towards the dinner table and watched as dinner sloshed around and bubbled dangerously. He glanced towards Turtle who returned his look with a silent cry for help.

“Why that’s dinner my boy you’re just in time.”

_I really wish I wasn’t._

“Now sit down we can talk while we eat.”

Krillin did a lot more talking than eating as his captured audience of man and Turtle quietly listened to his adventures on the lookout. By the time he was done dinner had been packed up and placed in the fridge for later as there was a great deal of leftovers.

“That’s quite a tale,” said Master Roshi. “Though I can tell it was well worth it.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy.”

“So what is your plan now?”

“I’ll relax here for a bit but I need to find Piccolo and Gohan soon.”

“I see.” Master Roshi said. “Well until then let’s see if we can find the exercise channel.”

“Sounds good.”

Without another word, the turtle hermit jumped onto his couch turned on the TV and quickly flipped to Wide-Thigh Aerobics. Truthfully it wouldn’t normally be pleasant to see an old man drooling over leotard-clad women stretching themselves. Yet to Krillin it was a call back to better times and couldn’t help but smile as he started to clean. He had finally cleaned the mystery stain on the dining room wall when he heard a groan coming from his master.

“Hey, where’d the girls go?”

Krillin turned to see that the girls had indeed vanished and replaced with a stiff news reporter with glasses and a serious look on his face.

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for some breaking news coming out of East City.”

Krillin froze.

_Is it the saiyans?! They’re too early!_

“We’ve received reports the East City bank has been robbed. The criminal is fleeing the scene on what we can only assume is a stolen bike. Police are giving chase and shots have been fired.”

“I don’t care about that bring back the girls!” Master Roshi yelled at the TV.

Krillin never thought he would be relieved to hear about a bank robbery but let out a sigh of relief as he quietly went back to cleaning.

“This just in, the criminal’s identity has been revealed…Yes, it appears that the famed thief Launch has returned and her latest spree has robbed the city of thousands of dollars.”

It took Krillin a moment to process the new information the television had gifted him as his cleaning slowed.

“Launch?”

All at once Krillin ran back to the coach standing next to his master who had finished complaining.

“Launch has fled to the East City highway where police are in pursuit. Our own Barry Walters has a bird’s eye view of the chase we’ll join him live on the scene. Barry?”

Without wasting a second the camera shifted to a man who could only be Barry. Barry was holding a microphone while sitting down in a helicopter looking down on the East City highway.

“Thanks, John, as you can see the police have followed Launch onto the highway and are advising all cars to stay off the road. It has been confirmed that Launch has a machine gun and knows how to use it.”

The camera turned towards the action as the blond-haired girl screamed down the highway on a motorbike dodging cars and shooting behind her laughing the whole way. Krillin stood there unsure what he could make of this situation. It was obvious that in this case Launch was in the wrong. Shooting at the police was not something a good person would normally do. Launch was a criminal at this point but she was also his friend. He hadn’t seen her since he and Bulma had gone to pick up Tien and Chiaotzu. Back then she was still gun crazy but she wasn’t shooting at the police. Yet he had known Launch since he was a kid. She was robbing trains when he first met her but she had been behaving well through the years. So why start again? Clearly, something was wrong.

“Krillin you should get going.”

“Huh?” Krillin responded once he realized that it was his master that had spoken.

“You’re going to save her aren’t you?”

“Yeah…guess I am, though I’m going to have to borrow a few things.”

* * *

 

“Pull over Launch! You can’t escape!”

“Screw you copper!”

Launch had been in this exact situation many times before. The robberies never really got old but doing one after so long had a sense of newness to it that she had truly missed. Despite that, some things never really changed. The cops still got mad when you flipped them off, the pure thrill you get every time you fire a gun, and the smell of money still gives off the sense of endless possibilities. New clothes, a new bike, or even a new airship if she still had enough when this was over, everything was exactly as she remembered it.

“This is the life!” Launch shouted to no one as her bike speeded off the highway and back into the city streets.

The havoc she caused as the police chased her down caused the citizens to scream as bullets continued to fly. The residents ducked for cover or ran to safety as Launch and the police barreled through block after block. Feeling the rush of the wind in her hair gave Launch a feeling of euphoria so great that her judgment left her as she slowly closed her eyes simply to enjoy the moment.

“Suzy!”

The cries of a mother had Launch opening her eyes as her mind tried to adjust to the scene before her. A small girl, most likely Suzy, had tripped in the middle of the street while trying to escape the chaos. Launch instantly went for the brake of her bike hoping she could stop in time. Though the bike began to slow Launch had been going too fast as the bike came screaming at the little girl.

“Get out of the way!”

Launch screamed to the unmoving girl who seemed too frightened to stand let alone run. As the realization of the coming tragedy slowly dawned on her Launch gripped her brake tighter, it did not help.

“SUZY!”

The final cry from the mother was the last thing Launch had heard before her world shifted, turned, and changed before her. In what could only be a second of time everything Launch had thought was above her flipped and her ground became the sky.

“What the hell?”

It took Launch a moment to gather her thoughts which was difficult when she was suspended in the air upside down. She heard the crash of her bike as it collided with a parked car but no scream of terror from the mother only silence

“Sorry, too rough?”

Until a voice from above broke that, Launch had to strain her neck and look upward only to see a bald short man wearing a pair of familiar glasses and a rag to cover his face. He was also flying and seemed to have grabbed her by the leg to save her from the crash. In his other arm, he held Suzy with the stolen bag of money around his neck.

“What?” Launch said glaring, able to recognize Krillin despite his flimsy disguise.

“Are you not happy to see me?”

Before she could answer Krillin floated down towards the ground with Launch and Suzy. Landing on the ground Krillin’s dramatic appearance had silenced the crowd that had gathered to watch the chase. The police officers weren’t sure what to make of the disguised flying man who had saved both the criminal and the innocent bystander.

“Suzy!”

The first to speak was Suzy’s mother who ran towards her daughter’s savior not caring if the flying man was dangerous or not.

“Here she is,” Krillin said as he gave Suzy over. “Next time be sure to look both ways before crossing, okay?”

Suzy didn’t say anything but nodded slowly.

“Good.”

Removing the bag of money with his now free hand Krillin tossed it to one of the officers who caught it, but still unable to process the flying man.

“There you go sorry for the trouble officer.”

“Hey, wait don’t give the money away!”

Without another word, Krillin took off with Launch still screaming curses and swears.

* * *

 

_This should be far enough._

Slowing down and floating just above a lone hill in a long stretch of green Krillin released his grip on Launch’s ankle and let the thief fall on her butt.

“Now I hope you understand why-”

Krillin had to cut his lecture short as he dodged a knife that Launch had pulled out from somewhere.

“Whoa hey!”

Undeterred Launch pulled a handgun out of its holder and fired twice at Krillin. Weaving in between the bullets the monk then put his hands up in an attempt to stop the onslaught.

“Launch wait, I know you’re angry but I can help you.”

Taking off his master’s dark glasses and the kitchen rag that covered his mouth Krillin hoped that the sight of him would calm his friend. He was wrong.

“That was my money!” Launch screamed as she shot again.

“What are you talking about? You stole that from the bank.” Krillin said barely able to avoid the gunfire.

“That made it mine!”

Unable to give a response due to the onslaught of bullets Krillin had to keep dancing around Launch until at last, all that came out of gun was a soft click.

“Finally now will you list-”

A thrown gun hitting his face stopped Krillin from talking any further.

“Ow.”

Krillin glared at Launch as he tried to rub the sting away.

“What is your problem?!”

Launch blinked once before crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’re my problem baldy! I had everything under control until you showed up and gave my money away!”

“It wasn’t yours in the first place! And you had nothing under control you were about to run over that little girl!”

“I… don’t, so what! It doesn’t matter!”

Krillin’s paused letting his tone harden.

“You don’t mean that.”

“Of course I do! What’s the point in anything these days? Once they get here we’re all dead anyway right?”

“They?”

Launch glared. “Don’t act like you don’t know! The saiyans idiot!”

In an instant the blonde’s action made sense. Hopelessness had given birth to a desire for the familiar.

“You’ve given up? You’re just going to rob every bank you see because you think there’s no point?”

“Don’t act like you’re any better. Can you say without a doubt that you can win this?”

 “…I can’t.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Launch turned to leave but she was stopped by her friend grabbing her wrist and holding her back.

“I can’t promise we’ll win. We could lose. But we’re going to fight anyway, you can believe in that.”

Launch was going to argue again Krillin could see that. She was going to rip her hand away maybe even hit him again scream and then walk away. So he showed her a little portion of his power just enough for someone who couldn’t sense ki to notice the ground shake and wind grow more intense. The effect worked as Launch took instant notice, the blonde’s eyes widened as her previous tension faded. Slowly Krillin released his grip on her wrist and stared straight at his friend.

“I’m going to fight.”

Launch blinked once and then again.

“You’re different.” Launch said as she watched Krillin as if to get a better view.

“That’s what training for six months will do.”

Launch seemed to accept this and a silence enclosed over the two of them.

“How’s Tien?”

The question came out of nowhere so it took Krillin a moment to react.

“Well?”

“Um, what do you mean?”

“I meant what I said, idiot! How is he doing?”

“Uh fine I guess?”

“Is he pushing himself too hard?”

“Um.”

 “Is he eating right?

“I don’t…”

“Did he fall off of Kami’s place and hit the ground?”

“What? No! Why do you care?”

It wasn’t until Krillin could see the blush that crept onto Launch’s face did he realize the simple truth of this situation.

_She likes him… I suppose the constant stalking should have tipped me off._

“It, it doesn’t matter! Is he okay or not?!”

Krillin smiled. “He’s fine.”

“G- Good…So what now?”

“You tell me. Do you want to rob another bank?”

“No. You took all the fun out of it.”

“Well, I know someone who would be really happy to see you.”

* * *

 

“Launch my dear! You’ve come back to me!”

“Shut it pervert!” Launch said as she delivered a swift kick to the turtle hermit.

“I can’t believe you dragged me back here to this stink hole.”

Krillin shrugged. “Figured you’d be happy to be home.”

Convincing Launch to return to the Kame House hadn't been easy but explaining that she was now on the run and had nowhere else to go helped.

“This isn’t my home.” The bandit snapped.

“Well, it’s a step up from prison. So make yourself comfortable.”

The blonde grumbled but stomped upstairs to claim a room.

“Good to see she hasn’t changed.” Master Roshi while he massaged his jaw.

“Some things never will,” Krillin said as he went back to cleaning the Kame House.

Some time passed with Master Roshi planted in front of the TV and Krillin quietly cleaning.

“Krillin, they’re talking about you.” Turtle said after Krillin had finally disinfected the bathroom.

“What?”

The old man turned up the volume on the TV where Barry Walters stood close to the street where Krillin had picked up Launch. Her bike still jammed into a nearby car with many onlookers surrounding the area.

“It was here near the East City bank that the deadly chase for the famous criminal Launch came to end. Police had chased the thief onto the local street where they had hoped to corner her. What they weren’t expecting was the six-year-old Suzy to be crossing the street at that moment. The 1st grader had tripped trying to follow her mother and it was in that moment Launch with two police cars hot on her trail arrived. Thankfully disaster was avoided by a rather special individual a disguised man who apparently has the ability, to fly.”

Krillin smiled, put down the mop he was using, found a place on the couch, and prepared to receive his praise.

“I thought the kid was going to get hit for sure.” A police officer reported. “But this guy flew in and just picked her up like it was nothing. Then he just floated there for a bit put her back down gave over the stolen money and then flew away with Launch. It was like something out of a movie.”

Krillin’s smile grew wider as the interviews continued with reactions ranging from disbelief to awe at the whole experience.

_Strange to think that I’m just as human as they are_ Krillin thought to himself.

It was the interview with Suzy’s mother that really had Krillin feeling good as Suzy was held by her parent during her portion.

“I don’t who he is but I cannot thank him enough for saving my daughter. If he is watching this I want him to know how grateful I am.”

“So Suzy is there anything you would like to say to your hero?” The reporter asked.

The little girl nodded and smiled as she was offered the microphone.

“Thank you, Mr. Baldy!”

The laughter started off slow but as the seconds ticked away Krillin could see that his Master and Turtle could not hold himself back anymore and shook the house with their howls.

“It’s not that funny,” Krillin mumbled as the blood rushed to his head.

“Well, this reporter isn’t sure if this marks the beginning of a new hero, but one thing is for certain little Suzy owes her life to this mysterious, Mr. Baldy.”

The laughter only grew louder and Krillin’s blush grew deeper.

_What was the point in borrowing Master Roshi’s glasses if the only thing people would see is my lack of hair?_

As the monk silently went back to cleaning the laughter continued on through the night.


	10. The Demon's Pupil

 

White, never-ending white, as his gaze absorbed the area in front of him Krillin could feel his throat tighten and contract. His mind boiled as his body took the full impact of an invisible weight that crushed him to the ground. Grinding his bones as his eyes remained open never breaking sight with the white, the never-ending white. Someone laughed, the noise bouncing through Krillin’s skull shaking it cold. Cold enough that the laughter grew and grew until it became a scream.

Ripping his eyes open and throwing himself forward Krillin gasped for air that thankfully came easy and clean. His room filled with color was unchanged since he had collapsed in his bed last night.

_That dream again._ Krillin thought as he allowed himself to relax reminding himself he was for a little while longer, home.

As he rubbed the sleep out of his head he knew he didn’t have to look at a clock to know that it was 4:30 in the morning. He let out a yawn and slowly got up to step into the bathroom. It was nice to be back in the Kame House. The only sound besides his master’s snoring was the calm gentle touch of the waves as they licked the sand of the small island. Showering as quietly as he could Krillin stood staring downward away from the boiling water. As the heated liquid consumed him a single chocking thought held his attention.

_This will be the last time I’m home before the fight._

It was one of the reasons Krillin didn’t want to return at all lest his emotions get the best of him and make him unable to leave.

_No, this was nice._

Wiping himself off Krillin quietly changed hoping that he hadn’t woken anyone yet. Dressing and making his way onto the sand the monk played through his morning routine. The morning air held with it more oxygen then he ever got on the lookout which resulted in every strike holding more speed and power than he recalled having. The effect was calming and had Krillin swiftly moving from a stance to another with a powerful grace. Keeping with the rhythm of the waves Krillin pulled his fists and kicks in and out while getting lost in his thoughts. He didn’t bother with counting his strikes or pushups nor did he practice parting the sea with his ki. The only thing he wanted was to feel like his old self if only for a moment. As he shattered the air with a simple punch Krillin paused and stared at the sun just as he had months ago.

_6:00, the day went quickly._

As he turned the monk was surprised to see his master sitting on the stairs of the Kame House.

“You’re up early,” Krillin said more than a little surprised he hadn’t sensed the old man.

“I wanted to see you before you left.”

“I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye.”

“Yes, you were.”

“…Was I that obvious?”

The smile that marked the old man was a sad one. “I have been alive for a very long time, my boy. I know the look of a man going to war.”

Krillin sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t.” Master Roshi said as he walked past his student to look out at the water.

“I also fought in a war back when I was your age. I lost a lot of friends during those years. Your fight is different from mine, but it is still a war. I don’t think I need to tell you that losing your own life is a very real possibility. You have become stronger, stronger than I could ever hope to be. No doubt that has to do with your promise to Goku.”

Krillin said nothing even as the master turned to face his student.

“People can become stronger when they have something to protect.”

“Did you get that from a movie?” Krillin laughed.

“I think it was a comic actually.”

The old man smiled and watched Krillin with sad eyes.

“I am sorry you have to do this.”

Krillin blinked in surprise. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, but I am still sorry. Now come let’s get you some breakfast before you leave.”

Breakfast was cold and tough. Yet his Krillin ate it without complaint as it was made for him by someone else. A luxury he would not receive for some time after this last morning with his master.

“Hello?”

Master and student turned to see Launch walking down the stairs a confused look on her face and her innocent blue hair bouncing with her.

“Oh well look who it is.”

Krillin let out the air he didn’t know he was holding as he saw Launch’s softer side had surfaced during the night.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“I believe so.” Launch said with a smile. “But I didn’t know I had ended up back at the Kame House.”

“Well, we’re glad you did!” Master Roshi said as he danced around the beautiful woman. “I wonder if I still have the fighting uniform laying around somewhere.”

“You’re such a kidder Master.” Launch laughed not seeing the perverse way the old man was looking at her.

Krillin sighed _He’ll just get shot at again when she sneezes._

The three of them finished the mystery breakfast and spent the rest of the morning enjoying each other’s company. Later Krillin was back in his room packing the essentials he would need as he prepared to leave.

_Haven’t lived off the land in a while might be an interesting change of pace, especially after sleeping in the sky for six months._

The monk’s packing was interrupted as a series of soft knocks came from his door.

“Come in.”

To Krillin’s surprise, it was Launch who opened and closed the door behind her.

“Hey Launch what can I do for you?”

The blue-haired girl said nothing as slowly walked towards Krillin.

“Krillin I need you to do something for me.”

“Sure Launch whatever you need.”

_That’s weird, what could she need from me in my bedroo-_

In an instant, Krillin’s imagination ran wild with what exactly a pretty lady could need from him in a bedroom with the door shut.

“It’s a little embarrassing.”

_E…ee..ee…eembarrassing?_

“I mean, with the saiyans on the way you guys might not ever come back.”

“Yeah…I gu…guess that’s true…”

 “So I need you to-”

Krillin’s face flushed his heart raced and he could feel his hands begin to tremble.

 “Please, make sure Tien stays safe.”

Krillin’s face fell. His heart and hands stopped and were replaced with the familiar feeling of disappointment.

_Of course, that’s what she wants._

“I’m sorry.” Launch said noticing her friend’s reaction. “Is that too much to ask?”

“No, not at all Launch. Tien will be fine I’ll make sure of it.”

Launch’s smile lit up the room and embraced the monk in a tight hug.

“Thank you, Krillin!”

The monk could only smile weakly as he thought about the cold shower he would need after the hug.

* * *

 

Later, after Krillin stuffed all he would need into a simple knapsack he stood on the beach for a final goodbye.

“Well guess I’m off.”

“Take care now.” Launch said with a smile sending him off as if he was going on a field trip. Krillin grinned none the less.

“Krillin.” Master Roshi said his sunglasses hiding his eyes. “Kami himself compared you to my master. It is praise I agree with and one you deserve. But please promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Be safe.”

The monk tried to give his best smile.

“I…”

“Be safe.”

“…Okay.”

Slowly hovering in the air Krillin gave one last look before jetting off into the blue sky.

* * *

 

As he flew Krillin noticed that he was flying past Korin’s tower the sanctuary that lived right underneath Kami’s lookout.

_I should probably get some senzu beans just to stock up._

“Hello, Anyone home?”

Looking around the small tower Krillin was surprised to find no one, save Korin’s sacred water still resting in the center.

“Hello?”

Walking around Krillin heard some commotion coming from downstairs.

“Korin?”

With still no one answering him the monk made his way downstairs to find the cat Korin staring at what seemed to be a great number of jars.

“This is not good.” The cat mumbled to himself.

“Korin?”

The cat wasn’t expecting anyone and someone calling him out while he was in deep thought had Korin jumping to all fours in fear.

“WHOSE…oh, it’s just you Krillin.”

_Scardy cat_ Krillin thought as he stifled a laugh.

“What brings you to the tower?”

“I was just in the neighborhood.” The monk said. “Thought I would pick up some senzu beans for training.”

Before Krillin had even finished speaking Korin’s face grew dark.

“I was afraid you would ask that.”

Grabbing one of the jars Korin tilted it so Krillin could see inside.

“This is where I keep the senzu beans.”

Krillin was confused.

“It’s empty.”

“Now you see my problem,” Korin said with a sigh.

“Wait…Are there no more senzu beans?”

The cat hermit’s silence was Krillin’s answer.

“That’s…that’s really not good! What happened?”

“They were…eaten.”

“EATEN? All of them?”

“Yes, unfortunately, they were the main food source for a certain individual.”

“But who could…” As Krillin slowed his eyes grew wide. “Wait…are you talking about?”

“Yes, it was Yajirobi. I assumed the beans wouldn’t be so important after Piccolo’s defeat. But over the course of these past five years, my supply has run dry.”

It was a slap in the face as Krillin started to realize just how much of a problem this was.

“So there are no more senzu beans? At all?”

“Well…no.”

“But what about the saiyans?”

Korin sighed.

“I’m growing some new ones but I’m not sure they will be done in time. I am sorry.”

“It’s, not your fault and really who could have seen this coming?”

Krillin turned to leave unsure what he would tell his friends as no doubt they had been relying on the curative power of the senzu to help in the coming battle.

“Wait.” The cat said stopping the monk.

Krillin turned only to see something being tossed to him. Catching the object Krillin was surprised to see a single bean in the palm of his hand.

“I always keep one for emergencies but I think you guys need it more than I do.”

“Thanks, Korin.”

 With nothing else to do Krillin left the tower to continue his search.

* * *

 

_There._

Finding the demon and child had taken some time as it seems Piccolo had gone to great lengths to mask his energy.

_I don’t sense Gohan though is he somewhere else?_

Landing in a clearing Krillin took a quick look around trying to pinpoint the exact location of his target.

_Doesn’t look like anyone is here, was I wrong?_

Before he could finish the thought an explosion of ki coming right behind him blasted forward. Letting his experience with the fake saiyans take over Krillin whipped around and deflected the beam with the back of his hand. The ki traveled upwards before it dissipated above the clouds.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Krillin asked the forest.

“Yes.”

The monk wasn’t surprised at the answer or as Piccolo stepped out from some low hanging trees.

“Had I succeeded then that would have proved you to be too weak to be of any use.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

“Why are you here?”

“I was looking for you and Gohan.”

Krillin watched the demon scowl obviously not trusting the monk for a second.

“Why?”

“If we are going to fight together I figured we would need to at least come up with a plan.”

“You think a plan is going to defeat these saiyans?”

“I figured it's better than just going out swinging.”

Somehow Piccolo’s glare grew worse and the demon slowly walked over to Krillin before towering over the smaller fighter.

 “Why are you really here?”

_Look like I’m still not a very good liar. I should work on that._

“I want to see how Gohan’s doing.”

“Goku’s son? What makes you think you even have the right to see him? You were too weak to defend him six months ago what’s changed?”

“I’m stronger now.”

“Are you now? Strong enough to beat the saiyans on your own?”

Krillin’s gaze narrowed

“Stop stalling, where is Gohan?”

The demon grinned.

“I killed him.”

Krillin’s head went white as he tried to understand what Piccolo had just said.

“Did you really think I going to let Goku’s son live when you practically handed him to me?”

Krillin started to shake unable to accept the truth.

“You…you’re lying. Kami said you were training with him.”

“Kami doesn’t know everything,” Piccolo responded with a smooth grin.

Krillin threw himself towards Piccolo, the demon king quickly slipping into a stance. Piccolo parried the simple strike that Krillin offered and responded with a wake-up punch connecting with the monk’s chin. Expecting the human’s head to snap upward Piccolo paused when Krillin took the blow beautifully and kept his footing despite the ground cracking under him. Forcing the fist back down with just his neck muscles Krillin hands grabbed the back of the demon’s head shoved his knee into Piccolo’s face. The force of the blow had Kami’s twin take a step back with Krillin chasing him down. Aiming for his face Krillin’s assault was stopped as Piccolo came down with a head butt cracking the human’s nose. Blood was already dripping down his face as Krillin gained his footing and glared at Piccolo.

“Is that all?” The demon said with a sly grin.

His power surging Krillin launched back at Piccolo with a roar. The clash of powers had the forest quaking as the trees swayed with every exchange. Krillin leaped back and threw a small ki ball at the ground the explosion scattering dust around the battlefield.

“That won’t help!” Piccolo shouted parting the dust in two with a wave.

Exposed Krillin could not stop the demon king’s fist as it buried itself into his gut. Skidding across the ground the monk winced as pain started to set in but he couldn’t stop a small smile from covering his face. Sensing movement to his side Piccolo turned but was too slow to stop a thundering strike coming from his blind spot caving in his jaw and throwing him to the ground. Wiping away the purple blood that was leaking from his mouth Piccolo watched as a second Krillin helped the first back to his feet.

“That’s the multi-form technique. When did you learn that?”

“While we trained at Kami’s lookout.”

 “I see, so the weaklings sought to surround themselves with other weaklings.” Piccolo laughed. “If only the saiyan brat had been among you.”

The Krillins lunged, coming at the demon from two different directions. Expecting this Piccolo grabbed the closer of the two and slammed them against one of the many forest trees. Now with only one left Piccolo stretched his arm at a rate faster than Krillin was prepared for. Piccolo’s grip collapsed around the monk’s throat as the human was dragged back to arms reach.

“Fool this technique forces you to split your power in half. Or were you not paying attention during the tournament? What have you been doing for the past six months?”

Piccolo’s answer came out in gasps, coughs, and a smile. Before the green man could react his arm was sliced off at the elbow. Both the severed limb and Krillin fell with the former landing on his feet and jumping away. Piccolo turned to find the source of the attack only to see another Krillin smiling.

_Three?_ The demon thought to himself.

Before Piccolo could make another move the original Krillin crushed his heel into the demon’s chest knocking him into the dirt. Using the second Piccolo needed to recover Krillin held his hand inches away from his opponent’s head, as he slowly began to gather ki. As the three remaining Krillins slipped back into the original the ball of ki began to grow larger.

“This is for Go-”

Krillin was cut off as pain exploded from his ribs throwing him away from Piccolo and on to the cold hard ground.

“Don’t hurt Mr. Piccolo!”

The voice was instantly recognizable to Krillin as he had heard it over and over again during his darker nightmares.

Turning to face the voice Krillin saw the young half-saiyan wearing a battle-worn gi and a sword on his back.

“Gohan?”

Instantly he could see the nervous behavior that he witnessed from his best friend’s son six months ago had disappeared. Now someone clearly used to combat stood in front of him ready and willing to fight.

“Gohan…you’re okay.”

The child offered no answer just a smooth slip into a stance before he attacked again.

“Wait I’m-” Krillin stuttered as he blocked a punch.

 “Gohan!”

It took one word from the demon to get the half saiyan to stop his assault.

“But Mr. Piccolo he was hurting you.”

“Do you truly believe that he is capable of hurting me?”

“He cut off your arm.”

Getting to his feet Piccolo only had to silently concentrate before a new limb slid into place.

“There, better?”

Krillin watched as Gohan’s face brightened up immediately as he realized his green companion was alright. Gohan’s attention then shifted to Krillin who stood like a deer in headlights unable to believe what he was seeing.

“Mr. Piccolo, who is he?”

Pain as if he had been stabbed swept through Krillin like a flood.

_He…doesn’t remember me?_

Piccolo grinned as he held the advantage for a moment reveling in the clear suffering of the monk.

“His name is Krillin he’s one of your father’s companions.”

Gohan looked again for a moment before recognition finally set in.

“Oh yeah, I remember you. You were on the island with the turtle!”

_I guess that’s better than nothing._

“Yep, that’s me.”

“But why were you guys fighting?” Gohan asked.

Krillin stiffened unsure how to explain how Piccolo’s lie had caused him to lose control.

“We were training.”

“But-”

“If you wish to keep your head you will stop these questions.”

Gohan closed his mouth obediently.

“Yes, sir.”

Krillin was surprised that Piccolo’s threat did not seem to inspire the fear that he expected. Instead, Gohan’s response had a light tone to it as if used to the demon’s way of speaking. The idea that a child seemed to be completely unaffected by Piccolo’s harsh tone was bizarre to put it lightly.

_This is about the last thing I expected._

“Now then, are you alone?” Piccolo asked.

“Uh, yeah but I want the others to join us.”

“Who is he talking about Mr. Piccolo?” asked Gohan.

“More of your father’s insufferable friends.” Piccolo spat.

“Friends? Are they strong like you?”

“Yeah, I-”

“Did they lose their tails just like I did?”

“Lose their? Wait you-”

“Are they also friends with Mr. Piccolo? How long did you all know each other? What did-”

“Gohan,” Piccolo said cutting through the child’s voice like butter. “Go get dinner.”

“But Mr. Piccolo I-”

“Now Gohan.”

Wordlessly the young half-saiyan obeyed and left the two older warriors alone.

“You lied,” Krillin said his eyes narrowing

“So it seems,” Piccolo said walking away.

“Why? Why lie about that? Were you looking for a fight?” The monk asked following the green man out of the forest and into a clearing.

“Answer me.”

Piccolo did answer, with a punch that cracked against Krillin’s cheek filling the monk’s head with both surprise and pain. Finding his hands and flipping back to his feet Krillin had to defend himself against Piccolo’s follow up.

“What are you do-”

Krillin’s question was stopped with a kick landing dead in the middle of his chest. The force of the strike had Krillin flying backward his feet digging into the ground to keep upright. Gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain Krillin let Piccolo come to him and swayed under his wide strike. Countering with a fist that twisted into the demon’s stomach forced Piccolo’s jaw to slacken and open wide. Krillin smiled until he saw the energy pouring out of his opponent’s maw. With no time to dodge Krillin could only put up his arms as defense before the energy washed over him like the sea. The blast tore his gi and the ground he walked on but the monk stood tall. Lowering his arms his body smoking from the dense energy Krillin threw himself back at the demon. Piccolo accepted the challenge and shot at the human dead on.

Both tried to end the fight by piercing the other’s temple with their elbow instead the two collided and the clash became a test of strength. With height on his side, Piccolo began pushing forward. Realizing he was fighting a losing battle Krillin gave up his ground to move in, absorbing the small space within Piccolo’s guard. Unprepared for this the demon had no chance to defend the short uppercut the shattered his unguarded rips. The effect of the punch was immediate as Piccolo keeled over presenting his jaw, an opportunity that Krillin tore into with a punch that carried his entire body weight in it. The blow forced the demon back, yet Krillin let him recover. This insult did not go unnoticed by Piccolo and he responded by throwing an arm that stretched out toward the monk’s neck. Krillin parried the arm but was unprepared for the second. Piccolo’s hand found Krillin’s leg and held it firm. Retracting the arm in the demon readied a hard fist by his head.

Despite being dragged closer towards his foe Krillin held both hands by his head before shouting.

“Solar flare!”

The familiar light flashed across the battlefield stabbing Piccolo in both eyes loosening his grip. Kicking off the limb Krillin shot two ki blasts at his enemy, Piccolo responded with a roar with pure energy exploding out of his mouth. The ki energy smashed together with an explosion that threw up a huge amount of dirt and dust. As the smoke faded the two fighters remained fixated on each other neither willing to miss an opportunity to attack.

 “You’ll do.” Piccolo finally said relaxing.

“What?”

“For the kid, you’ll do. He needs to fight someone his height. I hope the other humans are as competent.”

“…They are.”

“Good,” Piccolo said before walked over to his turban that been knocked off during the fight.

“Now, if you want to be useful gather some firewood the boy will be back soon.”

Wordlessly Krillin obeyed and walked back over to the trees to begin his search.

_He was testing me. Just like Kami._ Krillin thought to himself as he began picked up the dead tree branches.

* * *

 

Later when the firewood had been collected and Gohan had returned with a fish bigger than him the three warriors sat around the calm fire eating their share. Krillin’s eyes went to Gohan who seemed completely absorbed in his meal as the boy ate his fish as if it were going to swim away.

_Just like Goku._

Next Krillin sneaked a look at Piccolo the demon taking much smaller bites of his fish in a sort of disinterested way. Krillin’s stares eventually gained enough attention that Piccolo shot him one of his own which Krillin cowered from and regained focus on his own meal. He was halfway through the cooked fish before a voice called and killed the quiet.

“You’re strong.”

Caught off guard Krillin had to cough through his mouthful of fish before looking up to see Gohan looking at him with wonder.

“Excuse me?”

“You were training with Mr. Piccolo, right? I can’t keep up with him at all. But you did.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess.”

 “But I think Mr. Piccolo was holding back,” Gohan said as he took another big bite.

“Really? What makes you say that?” Krillin asked more curious than insulted.

“Well, he didn’t even use his special beam cannon.”

“His; special beam cannon?” Krillin said suppressing a smile.

_He named an attack?_

“Yeah!” Gohan said becoming excited. “He puts two fingers to his forehead and concentrates really hard and then-”

“Do not speak about me as if I wasn’t present,” Piccolo said coldly.

“Oops; sorry,” Gohan said.

And just like that, the silence was reborn between the three. It continued for another serving of fish before the youngest could take no more.

“Does your attack have a name, Mr. Krillin?”

“Uh.” _Mr. Krillin?_ “What attack?”

“You know your disc thingy that cut off Mr. Piccolo’s arm.”

“Gohan!”

Both the young saiyan and the monk flinched at the demon’s yell.

“Time for bed.”

“But Mr. Piccoloooo.”

“If you wish to wake up ever again you will sleep now.”

“Okay,” Gohan said though he was obviously a little upset. “Goodnight Mr. Krillin we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

Krillin watched as Gohan threw away his fish bone and jumped into the forest where his bed for the night laid waiting. As the noisiest of the three left for sleep Krillin became very aware that the evil demon king Piccolo who almost enslaved the entire planet five years ago had been reduced to a glorified babysitter.

_I guess stranger things have happened._ Krillin thought remembering that his best friend is an alien.

As the two sat wordlessly Krillin couldn’t help but notice that Piccolo had stopped eating despite not even finishing one fish.

“I don’t eat.”

Krillin was once again caught off guard and had to painfully swallow through another bite of fish.

“Sorry?” He coughed.

“The kid asked me to eat with him but I don’t need to. So you can stop looking at me.”

“Oh. That’s kind of sweet.” Krillin said without thinking.

“What?!” Piccolo bellowed a threatening vein appearing on his forehead.

“Um I um I mean…do you sleep?” Krillin said again without thinking.

“And why does that matter?!” Piccolo said as he stood.

Krillin flinched, his initial fear of the green demon getting better of him. But then he thought.

_He won’t kill me he can’t afford too, not with the saiyans coming._

In one motion Krillin stood as well facing Piccolo.

“If we’re going to be fighting together then we might as well be on moderately friendly terms. That doesn’t mean we have to bury the past but we should look beyond it even if it’s only for the next six months.”

Using the little courage he held at the moment Krillin extended his hand waiting for a response. He watched as Piccolo looked him over studying the monk.

“We’ll fight together human. But know that I’ll be killing all of you after this threat has passed.”

The demon turned ending the conversation on his end. But Krillin wasn’t done.

“I noticed Gohan’s tail is gone.”

“So is the moon. I don’t think I need to tell you what that means.”

“True but if Gohan is anything like Goku it’ll grow back. That is unless you blast the stub away with ki.”

 Piccolo turned. “How do you know this?”

“I asked Kami how he stopped Goku’s tail from regenerating, Figured it would be a useful thing to know with the saiyans attacking.”

“…Maybe.” Piccolo said before he disappeared into the night.


	11. The Hard Truth

As the sun began peeking over the tallest mountains Krillin had already been awake for some time. The simple basics greeted the ball of fire in the sky as the monk spoke to the crisp morning air with his fists and feet.

_As far as I can tell Gohan seems to be alright. The two have a strange relationship to be sure but I can’t say it isn’t working. Gohan’s kick had a lot of strength behind it especially when you remember he’s only four. Six months ago he was afraid of the water and now he’s getting along with Piccolo like its natural._

Letting out a sign and giving up his stance Krillin scratched his head in annoyance.

_Do I just let them train on their own? Maybe I’m just getting in their way by being here._

Before he could think on the matter further Krillin’s eyes spotted a trail of smoke shooting upward into the still sky.

_A fire?_

Without anything better to do the monk abandoned his sleeping area to go investigate. Flying over the trees it wasn’t long before Krillin came across the source of the smoke which to his surprise was the same four-year-old he had spent most of the morning thinking about.

_Gohan? What’s he doing?_

As he got closer Krillin couldn’t help noticing the half saiyan standing over a roaring fire cooking what remained of a ceratosaurus’s tail. As he began his descent Gohan heard the monk and turned with a smile.

“Good morning Mr. Krillin!”

“Uh…morning, what are you doing?”

“Making some breakfast do you want some?”

“…Sure.”

So Krillin joined Gohan and received the smaller portion of the dinosaur’s tail.

_When I was twice as old as him my training consisted of running away from ceratosaurus’s not going after them and eating them for breakfast._

Stealing a look at the half saiyan Krillin watched as the child scarfed down the dinosaur tail like he had never been fed before.

_How strong is he going to become?_

The duo ate their tails quickly before putting out the fire and throwing away the remains.

“So what do yo-”

The question was interrupted by a swift punch by the four-year-old. Barely dodging the strike Krillin backed away unsure what brought this on. Before he could get another word out the onslaught continued with Krillin on the defensive. This awkward dance continued as the older fighter watched Gohan attack while deflecting or slipping through his punches and kicks. Eventually, Gohan stopped and looked at Krillin, clearly confused.

“Why aren’t you fighting back?”

_Cause you’re just a kid. Though I don’t think he will accept that, Piccolo’s probably been beating him into the ground despite his age. No doubt the saiyans will do the same..... maybe I can teach differently._

“I’m watching you.” Krillin finally said.

“Watching?”

“Yes, so I can tell where your guard is weakest.”

“What does that do?”

“You want an example? Sure, ready yourself because I’m coming at you.”

Krillin watched Gohan slip into a basic but serviceable stance.

_He’s got his arms up that’s good. His feet are planted as well. Guess Piccolo’s been tripping him a lot. Crouched down too, he’s learned how to keep his vitals closed. For an experienced fighter, this is pretty good. For a four-year-old, it’s completely genius. But…_

“Your back’s open.”

Moving faster than the child could see Krillin vanished from sight and dashed around Gohan before regaining his attention with a soft poke to the back of his head.

“If I were Piccolo I probably would have hit you. If I were the saiyans I would have killed you.”

Gohan whirled around and leaped back hoping to gain safety with distance.

“You can do it too.”

“Do what?” Krillin asked.

“Disappear; Mr. Piccolo does that when we train.”

“Well you know we aren’t really disappearing we’re just moving fast.”

“But how can I catch you if I can’t see you?”

Krillin thought on this for a moment. “What does Piccolo say?”

“He always tells me to feel my enemy.”

“Hmmm, good advice but I’m guessing you don’t know what that means do you?”

The half saiyan quietly shook his head.

“Okay…then how about we try something new. Close your eyes and count to thirty. After that come find me. But you won’t be able to find me just using your eyes.”

Gohan looked confused.

“You mean we aren’t going to fight?”

“There’s more to training than fighting Gohan.”

“Mr. Piccolo doesn’t think so.”

“Well you’re not training with him right now are you?”

When the smile he expected didn’t appear Krillin floated upward but waited for the child to close his eyes before taking off.

_Still a little awkward around him, then again I don’t know the first thing about the kid. Other than he is half alien._

Krillin didn’t travel far but landed in a thick forest and hid himself in a tall tree. The monk sat on one of the thick branches and leaned back but not before flexing his power enough that someone looking for him would be able to track his location easily enough.

_That is only if they know how to sense energy._

Krillin passed the time by thinking about where he went wrong in his fight with Piccolo and counting leaves. It wasn’t long before Krillin sensed Gohan getting closer to his location.

_Good, let’s try something different now._

Lifting off from his branch Krillin wiped all traces of his presence and flew silently towards his best friend’s son. Unsurprisingly the child was confused. He had been following his instincts to lead him but with Krillin suppressing his ki he felt lost. Landing on a nearby cliff Krillin watched the young half-saiyan wandering around looking for his bald teacher.

_Let’s see how he reacts to this._

Slowly breathing in and then out Krillin quietly let loose. Freeing his energy he let his presence explode before directing it all to the unsuspecting child. As soon as he did Gohan turned, his eyes scanning for the unseen threat. But Krillin had moved from his cliff and onto another. Wasting no time Krillin repeated the process avoiding Gohan as he tried to track him, without success. Dancing around the monk had the kid spinning in circles unsure where the attack was coming from or if there was going to be an attack at all.

_He catches on quick._

Once more Krillin stole the space behind Gohan to deliver another soft poke. In that second Gohan reacted with a kick aimed at Krillin’s head. In one motion the monk blocked the attempt and looked at Gohan with amazement.

_He catches on really quick._

“So, think you got it?” He said as the half-saiyan shifted out of his stance.

“I guess, but I still couldn’t see you.”

“You didn’t need to see me to react did you?”

Gohan looked down as he tried to absorb what he had been told.

“How do you move so fast?”

“The same way you do, by gathering ki.”

“Ki?”

“Oh…you don’t know?”

“…No.”

Krillin paused as he never really had to explain what ki is.

_Now that I think about it no one really told me either. Are you supposed to explain it? Or do you just kind of make it up as you go along?_

“Well, I mean…it’s that power you can feel inside your body…You  just kind of gather it and move…fast.”

The blank expression on Gohan’s face told Krillin just how badly he was doing.

_This is going to be harder than I thought._

“Okay, how about this.”

Cupping his hands around an invisible ball Krillin gathered some ki and brought it to life as a small simple sphere of energy.

“This is ki.”

“Oh,” Gohan said. “You mean this.”

Raising his hand towards some rocks Gohan fired a small blast of ki obliterating the nearby stones.

“Yeah just like that.”

“Mr. Piccolo does the same thing but he shoots it out of his eyes.”

“Oh, really?” _Forgot he could do that._

“Um, Mr. Krillin? I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“How did you make that disc yesterday?”

“The same way I can move fast, by using ki in different ways you can effectively get different results.”

“What’s it called?” Gohan asked his face lighten up with curiosity.

“I’m sorry?”

“The name of the attack what do you call it?”

Krillin wasn’t sure what to say every attack he had ever learned had already come with a name. He hadn’t even considered what he should name his original technique or even if he should.

“Does it need a name?”

“Of course!” Gohan said.

Watching the child almost jump up and down with excitement Krillin couldn’t help but grin.

“So? Are you going to name it?” Gohan asked again.

 “Why don’t you do it for me? You seem to have a talent for this.”

Gohan smiled and Krillin could feel his resolve strengthen.

 “How about the sky cleaver?”

Krillin said nothing but the look on his face made it apparent that the name was not appreciated.

“Hmmm,” Gohan said thinking hard. “What about the Earth splitter?”

“Keep working on it.”

* * *

 

The two continued their training with Gohan going back to a muted state as Krillin explained and demonstrated the basic concepts of ki usage. Though at first, it was a little slow going Gohan seemed to be responding to the lecture as he honed his ability to sense and generate energy. Before long half of the day had vanished and lunch was the most important thing on the child’s mind.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with Mr. Krillin?”

“You go on ahead I’ll catch up later.”

“Okay.”

Krillin watched Gohan dash off in search of a fish or the same ceratosaurus. The monk sighed but knew he had to stay as he had sensed Piccolo in the distance watching the two train. Now that Gohan had left the green demon stepped forward.

 “I was wondering when you were going to show up. I wasn’t sure if you were still sleeping.” Krillin said forcing himself to look calm.

“I don’t sleep.”

“Just like Kami then.”

Piccolo glared not appreciating the comparison.

 “What are you doing?”

“Are you talking about training Gohan or just in general? Because the answer to both is the same, I’m getting ready for the saiyans.”

Piccolo looked at Krillin for a moment his gaze cutting through the monk’s confidence quite easily.

“What?”

“Come with me,” Piccolo said floating up higher.

His curiosity getting the better of him Krillin followed. The two flew for some time before they came to a large clearing with mountains stretching to the sky like buildings littered the ground. Krillin watched Piccolo land and quickly followed, they walked in silence before coming to a point where the mountains disappeared. They had all been reduced to rubble. Whatever had destroyed them the force also had seared and dug into the very Earth.

“There used to be a mountain here,” Piccolo said slowly.

“What happened?”

“Gohan destroyed it. All of them, as far as you can see from here.”

Krillin eyes widened in surprise. _I don’t think even I can do that._

“So the training is going well.”

“He did that on the first day.”

Krillin almost laughed but his eyes caught the dead gaze from Piccolo and realized in an instant that the demon was far from joking.

“You seem to have forgotten so let me remind you. It was Gohan who defeated Raditz. The power he holds is greater than mine, yours, and Goku’s. Though he may look like one he is no human child. So stop treating him like he is.”

“So what would you have me do? Beat him until he’s strong? There are other ways to teach.”

“From what I understand saiyans live to fight so why not just appeal to his base instincts?”

“Because he’s not-”

“He’s not like that? You are as blind as you are weak human. The child has the blood of a saiyan in him. Like his father, his love for a fight will drag him through countless battles. But that is only if he lives through this one. He is not a child or some pet you have the luxury of teaching how to sit. I had hoped you had grown some with Kami but it seems I was mistaken. And if you won’t teach him properly then I will.”

With that Piccolo left Krillin alone with his thoughts. The monk looked at the destruction that supposedly his best friend’s four-year-old had caused.

_Is he right? If Gohan really has this kind of power then we’ll need it for the saiyans. But this can’t be what Goku meant when he told me to protect his son._

Having wasted enough time Krillin took to the sky and quickly tracked down Gohan who had found his lunch by the river. Gohan greeted the monk with a smile full of fish.

“Would you like some fish, Mr. Krillin?”

“Sure.”

The two ate in silence with Krillin thinking hard and Gohan inhaling the rest of the large sea creature. Eventually, the only evidence the fish was ever present were the bones it left behind.

“So, what are we going to work on now Mr. Krillin?”

“Actually, Gohan. Perhaps we should try some sparring.”

“Okay.”

Krillin was a little surprised at the ease at which Gohan agreed to the idea.

_Then again that seems to be the focus of Piccolo’s training._

Krillin watched Gohan take the same stance he had earlier and adopted one of his own.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

The child charged with a scream readying an attack Krillin could already see coming. Evading the simple punch Gohan followed with a quick kick which Krillin effortlessly blocked. The two continued like this for a time with Krillin dodging Gohan’s attacks without any retaliation.

_I need to fight back. He won’t learn anything this way._

Finding an opening Krillin shot a fist that connected with Gohan’s face with a terrifying smash. The follow through had Gohan flying backward until he hit a tree. The child slowly slunk down to the ground with a small thud. Krillin looked at Gohan with wide eyes unable to believe what he had just done.

“Oooow you really are strong Mr. Krillin.”

Breathing again Krillin let himself relax.

“That’s because I’ve been training longer than you’ve been alive. Are you okay to continue?”

Gohan nodded and the spar went on through the day. It wasn’t until Krillin felt the first drops of rain on his head did he realize that sky had grown dark.

“Uh oh looks like a storm's coming in,” Krillin said while attempting to shield himself from the falling water.

“There’s a cave not too far from here we can take shelter there.”

“Lead the way.”

Flying through the storm quickly had the two had the entrance to a cave with Gohan quickly taking cover inside. Krillin followed and was greeted by the warmth and light of a small fire as the child had blasted some nearby branches. The two relaxed and warmed themselves in silence. As they sat Krillin took this opportunity to look around and discover that this wasn’t just a cave Gohan had picked randomly. This is where he was sleeping. There was a stack of nearby firewood, and even a makeshift bowl filled with some berries. It wasn’t the coziest of homes but it certainly beat sleeping in the rain.

_Now that I think about it, my stuff is probably drenched._

“Hey, Gohan how-”

Krillin had planned on asking the half saiyan how long he had lived here if only to start up some conversation. But it appeared that the child had silently fallen asleep.

_I guess it’s not surprising we were sparring for most of the day._

Hoping to avoid waking him Krillin slowly got to his feet and decided to look around. The cave was small with the whole thing being only a bit bigger than his room back at Kame House.

_I wonder if he finds this place comfortable. Does he need a bed to sleep in or does his alien nature help him with all kinds of hardships? I can’t remember Goku ever complaining about sleeping outside during his dragonball adventures._

Soon Krillin had explored the entirety of the cave and was about to head back to Gohan when something on the cave wall caught his attention. It was a series of math problems highlighted by the soft glow of the fire. They had been carved into the cave wall as easily as a pencil on paper.

_This is algebra? Wait did Gohan do this? How?_

It was in that moment Krillin’s memory played back a time when he had first met Gohan months ago.

**“So what do you want to be when you grow up?” Bulma asked “An orthopedist.”**

_I guess he was serious. Goku did mention that Chichi was making him study a lot but this is crazy.  This kid isn’t just gifted at fighting he’s also a genius._

Glossing over some of the more complicated problems Krillin eventually found an end to the math and come across a simple drawing. It was a crude attempt but it only took a second to recognize what the artist was trying to do. The picture had three stick people holding hands. The only traits each person had were their hair and height. One stick figure had crazy hair pointing in every direction while the other had their hair tied up in a small bun. The third was the smallest and stood in between the bigger two holding each of hands. Krillin’s heart was in his throat as he studied the drawing.

_He’s still a child. No matter how strong or smart he is he’s still a child._

Slowly walking back to fire near the entrance of the cave Krillin sat back down next to his best friend’s son. The careful breathing told the monk he was sleeping peacefully which brought him small comfort. But it was not enough to wash away the knowledge that Gohan would have to fight in a war that could kill him before his sixth birthday.

“…I’m sorry.”

 


	12. The Warrior's Gathering

 One thing Krillin would forever be grateful for was his ability to properly tell time without a clock. It was one of the little things he had picked up on his travels. Between the sun, his stomach, and his internal clock that always woke him up at 4:30 Krillin could spend the day constantly aware of how much time he had before nightfall. As he ended his morning routine the monk scanned the sky for the time of day.

_Around nine if I had to guess. They should all be awake enough to feel this._

It was time to bring in the rest of his friends and the quickest way to do that was to send them a flare they couldn’t ignore. Digging deep Krillin brought his strength up and out sending his location to anyone who could sense it. Letting the dust settle and wiping away the dirt he kicked up Krillin relaxed.

_Now we wait._

“What do you think you’re doing?”

 “I’m bringing the others here,” Krillin said as he turned towards Piccolo who did not seem to appreciate his truthfulness.

“It’s amusing that you believe the help of those weaklings will make a difference against the saiyans.”

“They’ve gotten a lot stronger since the last time you saw them.”

“Stronger than you?”

“No,” Krillin confessed. “But we still need them.”

“I’ll believe you when we win,” Piccolo said turning to leave.

“Wait, did you want to train with Gohan today? I figured since I-”

“What the boy does isn’t a concern of mine. I have my own training to do.” Piccolo said cutting Krillin off and flying into the sky.

_Someone is moody in the morning._

“Mr. Krillin, what was that?”

Turning Krillin was happy to see Gohan awake at last and wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

 “That was me calling for backup, good morning by the way.”

“Backup?” Gohan yawned.

“Yep, my good friends Piccolo mentioned before. You didn’t think it was just going to be the three of us fighting the saiyans did you?”

“Do they know my dad?”

Krillin took a moment to study Gohan and see his wide-eyed stare. It was the first time Gohan had asked about Goku since Krillin had seen him again. It was reassuring, Krillin was worried that with everything that happened the half saiyan wouldn’t want anything to do with his father.

“They do, in fact, one of them has known your father even longer than I have.”

“Do they know Mr. Piccolo too?”

Krillin paused. “Yes, in a way.”

“Where is Mr. Piccolo?”

“Um…he said he was going to do some of his own training. But that shouldn’t stop us from getting some sparring done.”

Though Gohan nodded Krillin could tell he was a little disappointed. Silently the two started with their practice bout. An hour later Gohan rushed the monk with a raised fist when his head suddenly snapped upward towards the sky. Following Gohan’s stare, Krillin was happy to see three familiar faces speeding towards them. Krillin saw Gohan reach for his sword and jump in front of him.

“Woah! Don’t worry these are friends I was talking about.”

The half-saiyan let go of his sword handle but Krillin could see that he was still uncertain. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu landed in front of the two each of them carrying a backpack full of supplies.

“You got here pretty quick.”

“Well, you’re hard to ignore,” Tien said before his eyes fell on the half saiyan. “So this must be Gohan.”

 “Wow! He looks just like Goku when he was young!” Yamcha exclaimed.

With just that comparison the young warrior seemed to relax. “Really? You think so?”

“I sure do,” Yamcha said squatting down so he was eye level with Gohan. “The name’s Yamcha the grouchy one over there is Tien and the tiny one is Chiaotzu.”

“Hey!”

Gohan watched the three new arrivals carefully before bowing slightly.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise!” Chiaotzu said.

“So, where’s Piccolo?” Tien asked looking around.

“He’s here. But I think it’s going to take some time before he starts training with us.”

“Not surprising.”

“However, we have bigger problems than that,” Krillin said before taking out the senzu bean Korin had given him.

“What’s that?” Gohan asked.

“It’s a senzu bean. Did Goku never tell you about these?” said Yamcha.

“No,” Gohan answered looking a little hurt.

“They heal you. Just one can wipe away all of your wounds and give you your energy back instantly.” Krillin explained.

“Cool!”

“However, this is the last one.”

“What?” Yamcha yelled. “But Korin had barrels full of them the last time we visited!”

“Yeah, but they’re gone now. They were eaten over the course of five years.” Krillin said sadly.

“Can Korin make more?” Tien asked.

“He’s trying, but he doesn’t know how long it will take or how many he’ll have by the time the saiyans arrive.”

The group’s voice faded, as each member was left to their own thoughts.

“So what?” Yamcha said with a grin. “This just means we’ll be fighting on a level playing field. Plus with how strong we’re going to get I don’t think we’ll even need it.”

“You don’t think you’re being a little overconfident Yamcha?” Tien asked with an eyebrow raised.

“It’s not overconfidence if it’s true right?

Krillin couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his cheeks.

_Don’t know how he can joke like this. But it does lighten the mood._

“Having said that,” Yamcha added. “I think you should keep the senzu Krillin.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I agree, you are our fearless leader are you not?” Tien said with a grin.

_Guess I deserve that._

“Fine, I’ll hold onto it for now,” Krillin said pocketing the bean.

“So, what now?” Chiaotzu asked.

“Now we can start our training.”

* * *

 

The warriors spent the day sparring and planning their encounter with the saiyans. The five switched partners off constantly with Gohan at times unable to keep up. The young saiyan wasn’t used to different opponents and had to quickly change his approach and style of fighting for each spar.

_Good._ Krillin thought. _If he just fights one person then he won’t know how to adapt to a new fight._

Before long the sun was setting and the energy of the group had dipped.

“Anyone want to break for dinner?” Yamcha asked panting.

The others agreed especially since they had skipped lunch entirely.

“We should each hunt on our own and then come back to eat. It’ll be a feast!” Chiaotzu said with a wide grin.

“Sounds good to me! But you should all give up now because nobody’s going to catch anything bigger than me!” Yamcha boasted proudly.

“Of course you would make this into a competition,” Tien said with a sigh.

“Sounds to me you’re scared.”

“Of you? Hardly.”

“Oh really? In that case, care to make this interesting?” Yamcha said with a smirk.

“What did you have in mind?” Tien asked standing up with a friendly glare.

“Loser has to do the others laundry until the saiyans arrive.”

“Sounds like fun!” said Chiaotzu.

“Hmph if you insist. The one with the smallest catch is the loser.” Tien said with a soft smile.

“Uh,” Gohan said stepping forward. “Can I play too?”

“Course!” Yamcha said grinning. “Wouldn’t really be a contest if we didn’t all participate.”

Gohan nodded unable to hide his excitement.

“Krillin? You ready?” Chiaotzu asked.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

Krillin wasn’t really paying attention as he once again sensed watchful eyes looking down at the group. 

“All right then let’s get this started! Break!” Yamcha shouted before flying off in his chosen direction.

The others did the same each searching the forest for their chosen prey. Expect for Krillin who had chosen to remain where he was staring at a nearby tree. The monk sighed.

“If you want to join us, all you have to do is ask.”

Piccolo stepped out from the shadow of the tree saying nothing.

“You hid your power well the others had no idea. Then again I know you better than they do.”

“You presume much,” Piccolo said with a cold glare.

“Well, Gohan was here so I figured you’d be somewhere in the area.”

“The brat? Why would he concern me?”

“You care for him for one.”

Krillin had counted on a rebuttal but the quick blast of energy that shot out of the green demon’s eyes was more than he could have ever predicted. Diving for the ground and rolling to his feet Krillin was able to dodge the beams as they cut through the dense forest behind him.

“You believe I care for that half-breed? What proof do you have?”

Krillin took a moment to catch his breath before responding. “I was only guessing but after an outburst like that I think you proved my point.”

Piccolo’s glare grew dangerous.

“After the saiyans, I will kill you first.”

“Of course you will,” Krillin said as he wiped the dirt off of his pants.

“I do not care for the child. Have you forgotten we need his strength to destroy our enemies?”

“No, I haven’t. But do we really need him because he’s strong? Or is it because we are weak?”

 Piccolo laughed. Something that Krillin wasn’t too comfortable with.

“We? Don’t lump me in with you and your worthless friends.”

Krillin said nothing for a moment but matched Piccolo’s stare.

“Don’t forget. It’s us versus them and we need all the help we can get.”

The demon snorted. “You think they can help? I’ve been watching I know what they are capable of.”

“Do you?”

Before he could get a response Krillin released a pulse of ki. It was quick but dense enough to get the point across. It wasn’t long before three figures appeared in the sky again making their way towards the monk and demon. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu landed and upon seeing Piccolo grew silent and tense.

“Hmph. You’ve trained your dogs well.” Piccolo said with a smirk.

“We’re not dogs you freak!” Yamcha shouted falling for the insult quite easily.

“Yet you bark like one.”

The former bandit took a step forward.

“Yamcha,” Krillin said slowly, stopping his friend from moving. “Hold on.”

 Silently Yamcha obeyed to the great amusement of the demon.

“You said you knew what we are capable of. Care to put that to the test?”

 “What are you planning human?” Piccolo said crossing his arms.

“A wager,” Krillin said.  “We fight. The team that wins makes a request of the other. Nothing serious but a nice way to clear the air between us wouldn’t you agree?”

“What if I refuse?”

“You can if you want to, are you that frightened of us?”

“Ridiculous.” Piccolo turned to leave.

“Then what if I don’t fight?” Krillin said.

Piccolo stopped.

“That’s a nice handicap for you. Don’t you think?”

The demon said nothing for a moment. Then took off his weighted clothing and threw it to the ground. The dense cape and turban cracked the dry ground under its weight. “I will see you dead at my feet.”

“You made him mad,” Tien said.

“Glad I’m not the one fighting him then.”

“Wait, are you really not helping?” Chiaotzu asked nervously.

 “You’ll be fine. We’ve done this before with Raditz, you know what to do. He’s coming.”

Piccolo lunged at the humans robbing them of any more words. Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu scattered to gain distance and an opportunity to plan their attack. Piccolo went straight for Krillin his anger getting the better of him. This was a mistake as Yamcha was able to slam into his side throwing the demon to the ground.

“Didn’t you hear him? You’re fighting us!”

Rolling to his feet Piccolo’s glare narrowed dangerously.

Yamcha charged to continue his attack. The bandit lunged with a punch only for Piccolo to counter with a wave of his hand and a fist that crashed into his enemy’s cheek. As soon as Yamcha hit the floor a narrow beam of ki fired by Chiaotzu flew at the demon’s head. The green warrior saved his face by leaping away and letting the attack pass by him.

“Tri-beam!”

Without a moment to rest the demon was overwhelmed by an outpouring of ki that came from above. The blast consumed both him and everything else two steps away. The ki was intense enough to bring Piccolo to his knees and split the Earth burying the demon and covering him in darkness. This lasted only a moment as Piccolo recovered and leaped out of the man-made hole angry, and looking for people to hurt. This time it Tien who charged Piccolo with a kick shooting at the demon’s ribs. Again the attack was deflected effortlessly and followed with a head butt that twisted and crushed the three-eyed man's nose. Tien stumbled and paid for it with a shot to his stomach depriving him of strength and air. Piccolo readied another assault but was cut off by a boulder hurtling itself towards him. Focusing his attention on the rock Piccolo split the stone quickly ridding him of the threat. However, this delayed him just enough for Yamcha who had recovered quite nicely to rush the demon and strike. With no time to counter Piccolo was forced to dodge. Right into the path of another thrown boulder; the stone crashed into the demon’s back and though the damage it dealt was minimal Piccolo let his rage flow and turned to lock eyes with Chiaotzu. The smallest martial artist grinned, which only served to further anger the demon.

“You insect!”

His focus gone Piccolo failed to see Tien who had gathered his ki into the palms of his hands and formed a triangle.

“Tri-beam!”

The outpouring of energy bathed Piccolo once more. Despite this, the demon’s defenses had blocked the blast from hitting anything vital. However, this meant that Yamcha was once again able to close the distance

“Wolf fang fist!”

A barrage of hands and feet flew at Piccolo clothed in ki. Unfortunately, they weren’t moving fast enough. The kicks were deflected and the fists were stopped as the demon caught the bandit’s hands by the wrists. Piccolo gathered his energy and brought it upward into his eyes which began to glow.

“Burn.” The green warrior whispered as Yamcha struggled to free his hands.

_I knew this was a bad idea._ Yamcha thought to himself as he closed his eyes hoping Piccolo would decide not to kill him. However, before either could move Piccolo saw and felt a sickening rip as his arms were once again cut off from the elbow down, freeing Yamcha. As the demon’s eyes grew wide with surprise a punch smashed into his cheek rocking his brain and stunning him. This gave his pursuer the time to throw a kick deep into the demon’s chest and another punch driving him into the ground. Piccolo bounced once before regaining his footing and scanning the area for the threat, he did not have to look far.

“You.” Piccolo snarled as Krillin made his landing. “You said you wouldn’t interfere!”

“I lied,” Krillin said slowly.

Piccolo’s growled as he regrew his arms and launched himself towards Krillin. However, before his nails could dig into the monk’s skull pain slid through his chest like a sword and his strength faded into nothing. Falling to a knee and clutching his heart Piccolo demanded an answer with a look. He received it as his stare caught Chiaotzu stretching both arms out. 

“I got him.”

In an instant Piccolo understood what had happened but the point wasn’t driven home until Krillin said it himself.

“You lost.”

“Bastard!” Piccolo snarled through clenched teeth.

“You’re right. I am.” Krillin said as he bent down so he was face level with the demon.

“I’m also a liar and a cheat. I went back on my word and I would do it again if I had the opportunity.”

Piccolo struggled to rip the monk’s throat out but Chiaotzu’s grip was too tight.

“But at the end of the day, we won. And against the saiyans that is all that matters.”

This caught the demon’s attention. His struggles died but his gaze held the monk in his place.

_Even like this, he’s still really scary._

“This is your plan?”

“This is one of them.”

Piccolo’s gaze grew deadly. “The saiyans won’t fall for a set-up.”

“Are you sure? It seems like they’re even more blood thirsty than you and this seems to have worked just fine. Alright Chiaotzu, you can let go now.”

The smallest martial artist looked unsure but did as he was told. Piccolo felt the pain in his chest fade and slowly got to his feet.

_Hope he’s not mad._

Despite Krillin’s wishes, the demon appeared furious as he stared down at the monk.

“What would you have me do?”

Krillin blinked.

“Excuse me?”

“The wager, or do you not remember?” Piccolo said his eyes narrowing.

“Oh…”

_I only said that to see if he would fight at all._

“Well?” Piccolo said with wavering patience.

Krillin thought for a moment weighing his options and his next move. “I want you to have dinner with us.”

If Piccolo wasn’t angry before he certainly was now as he loomed over the shorter man. “You want me to what?”

“Eat dinner,” Krillin repeated. “If you bring in the smallest meal you’ll have to do all the laundry.”

“Oh shoot!” Yamcha shouted. “I forgot about that!”

With that, the former bandit shot off into the sky in search of the biggest animal he could find. Tien and Chiaotzu looked at Krillin who simply nodded once, and then they left to find dinner.

“This is idiotic.” The demon said with a vein pulsing through his forehead.

“We’re humans, did you expect any different? Besides Gohan will be happy to see you.”

The vein disappeared.

“Now come on dinner won’t catch itself.”

Taking off Krillin could finally relax letting out a breath he was holding since the fight began.

_Wonder if that worked._

* * *

 

Dinner didn’t take place until evening with each of the warriors bringing in the spoils of their hunt.

“I don’t know what you are talking about mine is clearly bigger,” Tien said his patience nearing its end.

“How can you be so blind with three eyes?” Yamcha said jabbing a finger into Tien’s chest. “Mine is bigger and you know it.”

The two had been arguing around their respective catches for quite a bit as Gohan and Chiaotzu gathered wood for the fire. Both Yamcha and Tien had succeeded in hunting two of the larger beasts in the area. They were both great in size and weight with only the minimal difference making it unclear who the victor was. However, what they were fighting over was second place as Gohan had come through with a ferocious dinosaur bigger than a house. Chiaotzu’s contribution was a sizable saber tooth that he assured everyone he would be able to finish on his own.

“Of course none of this really matters,” Tien said with his arms crossed. “We already know who came in last.”

Yamcha grinned. “On that, we can agree, right Krillin?”

“Shut up!” The monk shouted before going back to washing the group’s laundry in the river, his caught rabbit lying near his side as if only to mock him.

_When did I get so bad at hunting?_

“Mr. Krillin?”

Krillin paused his cleaning to see Gohan standing near him.

“Hi Gohan, what can I do you for?”

The half-saiyan fidgeted as if he didn’t want to be having this conversation.

“Do you know where Mr. Piccolo is?”

_Uh oh._

Truth be told Krillin had no idea where Piccolo was currently. He wouldn’t be surprised if Kami’s twin left the forest entirely just to get away from the humans.

_I’ll be sleeping with one eye open as well._

“Well, he-”

Before Krillin could finish the half saiyan’s eyes lit up.

“Mr. Piccolo!”

The monk turned to see Piccolo floated above them as he held his catch for dinner quite obviously the biggest of them all, if Gohan’s dinosaur with a child Piccolo had found its mother. Kami’s half let his dinner fall to the ground with a dangerous thud. Gohan excitedly ran to it a big smile already covering his face.

“Wow, Mr. Piccolo this is huge!”

“Hmph of course it is.” The demon said as he came in for a landing.

As he did Tien and Yamcha stopped bickering but they focused their attention on Piccolo while not saying much. Chiaotzu looked on silent as well

“Hey!” Krillin said hoping to break the silence. “You three look for some more firewood so we can start cooking. We’re going to need a lot more.”

“…Sure.” Yamcha said before talking off with Tien and Chiaotzu.

“Those three don’t trust me,” Piccolo said walking closer to Krillin.

“Can you blame them?” Krillin replied still concentrating on the laundry. “You did threaten to enslave the human race.”

“I still plan too.”

Krillin sighed.

“Mr. Piccolo where have you been?” Gohan asked now that he was all done inspecting Piccolo’s latest kill.

“That is no business of yours.”

“Aaaww,” Gohan said looking disappointed.

“Now come, I want to see what you’ve learned,” Piccolo said with a sweep of his cape as he walked off.

“Yes, Mr. Piccolo!” Gohan said following his green mentor.

Krillin smiled as the two began to spar and he went back to doing laundry.

 (cut)

It was an hour later before dinner finally started, a nice roaring fire blazed in the center of the small circle of fighters. They sat in silence as they watched the meat cook over the open flame and Krillin could feel the quiet on his skin.

_Someone has got to say something or we’ll just sit like this forever._

“Hey, Mr. Krillin?”

“Yes?” Krillin said turning to Gohan glad his prayer was answered.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“How come you are so tough?”

“What do you mean?”

“When I hit you it doesn’t look like it hurts but that doesn’t make sense. You aren’t tall like Piccolo or my dad, you’re short like me.”

Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu started to snicker and didn’t stop even when Krillin glared at them.

“Well, Gohan,” Krillin said after clearing his throat. “You don’t have to be tall to be tough there are other ways.”

“Like what?” The half-saiyan asked as he ripped into another chunk of the dinosaur.

“For example, one reason I’m tough is that I use a barrier.”

“Where is it?”

“It’s not something you can see,” Krillin said with a laugh. “It’s a technique, a way of manipulating my energy to defend myself.”

“A technique you stole,” said Chiaotzu.

“I didn’t steal it. I borrowed it.”

Before Chiaotzu could respond Gohan cut him off with another question. “How does it work?”

Krillin said nothing as he eyed Piccolo carefully.

_Guess it wouldn’t do any harm even if he does know._

“Here I’ll show you,” Krillin said standing up. “It’s actually quite simple.”

The monk concentrated and flexed his energy until a small barrier surrounded him. “Instead of just launching a blast through your hands you just let it seep outward until it surrounds you.”

Gohan took a look at the bubble of ki curiously.

“Try punching it,” Krillin said with a smile.

Gohan was unsure and looked for Piccolo for confirmation. The demon nodded and Gohan readied himself. The half-saiyan planted his feet firmly curled his hand into a fist.

_Maybe I should put more energy into this._

Gohan let the punch fly only for it to thud against the barrier with no real damage done.

“Wow! It’s super strong!”

“You see?” Krillin said with a grin.

_Though, you almost broke it with just a punch._

“But you didn’t use that when we were sparring.”

“Actually I was.”

“Do you really have to explain it?” Yamcha asked with a sigh.

“Hey, I’m teaching over here!” Krillin yelled before resuming. “Now watch carefully Gohan.”

The half-saiyan did just that as the barrier around Krillin grew smaller and smaller until it seemed to disappear.

“Now try punching again.”

Gohan immediately did so without hesitation or even a look back at his green teacher. The fist collided with the monk’s stomach though once again it appeared that Krillin was completely unharmed.

“So?” said Krillin. “How did that feel?”

“It felt like hitting the bubble.”

“Exactly!” Krillin said as he patted Gohan on the head. “I just made it smaller so I can move around. It’s like wearing armor and the more energy I use the tougher it gets.”

“Cool! How much energy were you using just now?”

“Oh like 30-40%.”

_More like 60-70%. The kid has a wicked punch._

“Can you teach me how to make the bubble?”

“Of course, I already taught it to everyone on the lookout.”

“Everyone expect for Yajirobe, Tien sighed.

“Whose Yajirobe?” Gohan asked.

“He’s a lost cause,” said Yamcha.

Gohan looked like he wanted to know more but before he did his eyes lit up in realization.

“Oh, Mr. Krillin I thought of more names for your disc attack.”

“Alright, shoot,” Krillin said with a smile.

Gohan grinned and launched into a barrage of names none of which seemed to resonate with Krillin.

“The Heaven Cutter.”

“I don’t think so.”

“The Disc of Doom.”

“Maybe not.”

“The Circle of Courage.”

“No.”

“You guys are going to be at this all night.” Yamcha yawned.

“I could name an attack of yours Mr. Yamcha. Like Mr. Piccolo, he’s got an attack with a name.”

Yamcha paused for a moment before he burst out laughing.

“He does? Oh man whatdija, call it, the green beam?”

Yamcha was too busy holding his sides to see the demon’s scowl but it was clear to Krillin what was going to happen. Piccolo’s eyes lit up with energy and blasted out toward the laughing bandit. Yamcha saw this and dodged, rolling to his feet.

“What was that for you jerk?”

“Hmph.” Piccolo sneered. “Didn’t think you would dodge that.”

“Hey! Answer me!”

“Calm down Yamcha,” Krillin said. “That’s what you get for laughing.”

“Laughing? He nearly killed me with that!”

“You’re not that weak Yamcha,” Tien said. “Now sit down your food is getting cold.”

Yamcha had more to say but realized that no one was on his side. With no other option, he sat back down sending glares towards Piccolo.

_There goes the mood._ Thought Krillin _I wonder what Goku would do? He would probably eat all the food before anyone else. Then he’d fight them until they were friends._

 The thought of Goku beating up Piccolo and Yamcha until they were shaking hands brought out a quick snort.

“What’s so funny?”

Krillin looked up from his meal to see Chiaotzu his face fixed with curiosity.

“Oh, I was just thinking about Goku.”

“My dad?” Gohan asked, “What about him?”

“Nothing it’s-”

Though before Krillin could finish he noticed he had the attention of everyone around the campfire. Even Piccolo’s ears seem to prick up when Goku was mentioned.

_I guess reminiscing about the past is what campfires are for._

“Did I ever tell you about the time I ended up eating puffer fish with Master Roshi?”

* * *

 

“So the next day we pushed the rock to show him how strong we had gotten and he was so surprised his eyes burst through his sunglasses!”

It was the third story Krillin had told about his day's training with Goku and as the laughter echoed around the fire he didn’t plan for it to be the last.

“Oh man, my sides hurt” Yamcha coughed out.

The others weren’t fairing much better Tien’s three eyes were tearing up, Chiaotzu had fallen over his seat, and even Piccolo grinned once. Gohan seemed to get the most out of the stories his wide eyes only growing wider as Krillin talked about his father. However, excited as he was the young boy couldn’t stop the yawn that rolled out of him.

“Someone’s tired,” said Tien.

“No, I’m okay,” Gohan said trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

“Hey, even the strongest warriors need their shuteye,” Krillin said wisely.

“What does that mean?” asked Gohan.

“It means its bedtime,” Krillin answered as he stood up and stretched.

“Awww.”

“No worries squirt,” Yamcha said patting Gohan’s head. “I’m sure there will be more stories tomorrow, right Krillin?”

“Of course.” The monk answered with a smile.

 “Alright then guess we should find a place to sleep,” Tien said standing up.

“Oh! You guys can use my cave!” Gohan said excitedly.

“Your cave?”

“Yeah let me show you!”

Without another word, the half-saiyan blasted off into the night sky. Tien looked at Yamcha who just shrugged.

“You coming Krillin?” Yamcha asked.

The monk gave a quick side glance to Piccolo who had yet to move.

“In a moment let me put the fire out first.”

Yamcha also gave a look towards Piccolo but nodded before flying away joined by Tien and Chiaotzu.

“You know Gohan was happy to see you.”

This comment got no answer from Piccolo so Krillin turned to stomp out the fire, showing his back to the demon. At that moment Krillin felt the heat of a ki blast touch his cheek as the deadly energy flew past him and drilled a perfect hole into a nearby mountain.

“Know this **human**. When the saiyans are disposed of your death will be slow and painful. I will gut your friends in front of you and make you watch them bleed. By the time I’m done with you, death will be a mercy.”

Krillin checked his cheek to see if the beam had drawn blood. Pleased that it hadn’t he turned to face Piccolo.

“Was that the special beam cannon?”

“What?” Piccolo barked.

“You know the move you named. Was that it?”

The demon said nothing but his glare deepened.

“I will kill you.”

Then he took off into the night leaving Krillin alone with the warm glow of the campfire.

_He’s still really scary._ Krillin thought as he scratched the back of his head.

He turned to cover up the fire but then got distracted by the hole Piccolo had made in the mountain.

_Looks like an interesting technique… I wonder how it works._


	13. Last Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't posted in a bit. As an apology, I'll upload chapter 13, 14, today and get 15 here tomorrow.

 

“Dammit! Why isn’t this working?”Yamcha slumped down as the semi-disc fizzled and disappeared from his hands.

“You’re not feeding it enough energy, you’re thinking about spinning it too much.” Krillin lectured.

“You know when I saw you use this technique against Tien I didn’t think it was that complicated.”

“It’s not; the genius is in its simplicity.”

“Sure doesn’t look like genius.”

“Less talking more disc throwing!”

“Gohan still hasn’t come up with a good name?”

“What did I just say?”

It had been five months since the humans left Kami’s lookout and met up with Gohan and Piccolo. Tensions have remained high with the green demon but as the days passed an unspoken understanding seemed to envelop the martial artists. It wasn’t enough to have Piccolo join them for dinner every night but because of the situation, numerous spars had taken place. The result was easy to see. Krillin had never felt stronger and his friends had placed all of their trust in him. Gohan had warmed up the monk considerable and looked forward to his lessons almost as much as Piccolo’s.

_This was the right move._ Krillin thought to himself. He looked out at the others as they spared. Tien was working with Chiaotzu while Piccolo concentrated on Gohan even choosing to spar in front of the other humans. _If we had just gone off on our own we’d have no one to practice with. This isn’t like a tournament where we have to hide how strong we’ve gotten. We can actually work together. With a month left we still have time to refine our plans and we don’t even know how strong Goku will be. We can do this._

In the same breath as Krillin’s grin without warning or hesitation, the noon sky went black. Krillin slowly turned to look at the darkness and instantly recognized the phenomenon.

“What’s going on?” Gohan asked as he walked over to join Krillin and Yamcha.

“Weren’t you listening when we told you brat?” Piccolo spat. “This darkness means Shenron has been summoned.”

“Oh. Is that a bad thing?”

“No Gohan.” Krillin said. “This means that the others are reviving your father.”

Gohan’s eyes went wide with surprise, “My dad?”

Krillin could only smile in response, “Yeah, he’s coming home.”

Gohan’s face lit up and his hands started to fidget as if he didn’t know what to do with them. Krillin was happy for him but couldn’t help the important question slipping into his mind.

_Why is he being revived now?_

As he pondered this the black sky faded and the noon sun returned. Yet as the minutes passed Goku did not show.

“Mr. Piccolo, where’s my dad?” Gohan asked.

“…something’s wrong,” Piccolo said. “Not only is Goku not here it’s still a month too early.”

“Krillin what should we do?” Chiaotzu asked his voice giving away his fear.

“Stay here, Kami was the last one with Goku’s body; I’ll go and see what he has to say about this.”

“You’re leaving? What if the saiyans arrive?” Yamcha said.

“If they are as strong as we’ve been told I’ll sense them coming. I won’t be gone long and who knows maybe Goku will be with me when I get back.”

The monk gave Gohan a quick smile before taking to the sky in the direction of Kami’s lookout.

* * *

 

Touching down on the lookout Krillin looked around for any sign of the guardian. Instead, he spotted Mr. Popo watering the flowers calmly. Yet as he did Krillin could see his hands shake in a way he had never seen before.

_Is he nervous about something?_

“Mr. Popo?”

“Kami has gone to find answers to the questions you have. He should return shortly.” Mr. Popo replied his concentration still on the flowers.

As if he had timed it perfectly in the next instant Kami appeared out of thin air.

“Ah Krillin, it is fortunate that you are here.”

“Kami what’s going on? Was Shenron summoned?”

“Yes, your friends back at Kame House summoned the dragon and restored Goku to life.”

“Okay, but why did they do it so early?”

“Because the saiyans will be arriving tomorrow.”

The air Krillin was breathing stopped and for a full minute, the world froze.

“I thought we still had another month.”

Kami paused. “It seems not.”

“…I see. What about Goku?”

“He will be arriving…two days from now.”

“Two days?! That doesn’t make any sense Kami!” Krillin shouted unable to control himself. “When Shenron revived me it didn’t take two days! Why is Goku any different?”

“Simply put Goku had to venture deep into the afterlife for training. His return will be a slow one.”

 “So we’re supposed to hold the saiyans off by ourselves for a whole day? Without Goku?!”

Kami said nothing letting the silence of the lookout take over. Krillin’s teeth clenched as his anger took hold. In one swift motion, Krillin walked past Kami and Mr. Popo towards the lookout’s center. Only to be stopped by Kami’s hand on his shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going back into the chamber. We’ve still got the rest of the day I’ll use as much as I can.”

“No,” Kami said his hand holding firm.

“I can do it, I’m stronger now.”

“…you are not strong enough.”

Krillin whirled around and threw Kami off of him.

“So what am I supposed to do?!”

Kami paused and let the monk take in his stare.

“Nothing,” Kami said slowly. “You have done all you can.”

Krillin’s anger flared his fingers cutting into his palm as both fists tightened.

“We still have time Kami! Let me take the risk!”

“You have done all you can.”

“I can do more!”

“Krillin,” Kami said slowly replaced his hand on the monk’s shoulder. “You have done all you can.”

“No! I can do it! I can-”

Krillin’s shouts were cut off as the guardian pulled his friend into a soft hug. As the moments passed the monk wavered, his anger slowly leaving him. Until all that was left was grief.

“…I can do more.” Krillin said his voice coming out as a small whimper.

* * *

 

Later, Krillin sat on the edge of the lookout overlooking a vast stretch of Earth letting the limited air of lookout sooth him.

_They’re finally here._

Before long Krillin could hear footsteps behind him and didn’t have to look to know it was Kami.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. I’m…sorry about that.”

“You have no reason to be,” Kami said softly. “Tell me, are you still having nightmares about your time in the chamber?”

“How did you-” Krillin said reeling for a moment before calming himself. “I can’t hide anything from you can I?”

“Are you?” Kami asked again.

Krillin paused. “It’s not every day like it used to be but they still come.”

“I have a feeling they will remain with you for quite some time.”

Krillin almost laughed. “Or until tomorrow.”

The dark humor of the joke striped the two of words for a moment with the only sound being the wind’s howl.

“I would have died in the chamber this time,” Krillin said.

“You’re certain of that?” Kami asked.

“I know myself at the very least. I was angry and unfocused; I would have pushed myself too far. I don’t think I would have ever been able to come back. Thank you, for stopping me.”

“Don’t thank me. I’ve given you a burden no one should hold. Instead, I hope one day you will forgive me.”

“…I will,” Krillin said slowly.

Picking himself up the monk stepped off the lookout’s edge and floated for a second.

“Krillin.” Kami called which had the monk turning to face him. “Thank you, for fighting for your home.”

“Save that for when we win.” Krillin smiled.

It’s worth saying now. Goodbye Krillin.”

“Goodbye Kami.”

Krillin looked at his friend on the lookout one last time before flying toward Korin’s tower.

* * *

 

_We just lost a month of preparation and practice. The others will no doubt be scared even if they don’t want to show it. Kami’s right, all we can do is use what’ve got._

Landing on the tower Krillin quickly scanned the area wondering if anyone was even home.

“Hello, anyone here?”

“Krillin? Is that you? I’m downstairs!”

Recognizing the cat’s voice Krillin made his way to his friend. Upon arriving, Krillin looked to the numerous jars when the senzu beans used to be. They were still empty.

“Well this is a nice surprise what brings you to my tower Krillin?” asked the cat.

“Hey, Korin I was wondering if any of the senzu beans are ready yet?”

The cat smiled. “Actually they are coming along splendidly!”

Krillin let out the air he was holding. “That’s a relief.”

“In fact, I should have two beans ready in just a day or two.”

And just like that, the monk’s fears became a reality.

“Korin, we don’t have a day or two left.”

“What?”

“Kami just told me that the saiyans are arriving tomorrow.”

Krillin could see the news shook Korin.

 “I see. What of Goku? I saw the sky, he’s been revived I take it.”

“Yes, but it’ll be at least another day before he can join us.”

The cat said nothing but walked over to the edge of his tower and looked out as if the scenery would help.

“The odds are against you boys.”

“Well, that’s nothing new,” Krillin said as he joined the cat.

“I wish there was more I could do.”

“I still have the one senzu you gave me.”

“That’s not much.” The cat said bowing his head.

“It’s something, and in this fight that could mean everything.”

Korin nodded accepting the answer but continued to stare out into the sky.

“It begins tomorrow.”

The two sat there for a time looking at a view that could be gone by tomorrow.

“I need to get back.” The monk said slowly.

“Of course.”

He leaped over the railing ready to fly.

“Krillin.” Said Korin.

“Yeah?”

“Give them hell for me.”

Krillin smiled. “Nothing less.”

Krillin took off but instead of returning to camp he made a pit stop in the middle of a dense forest. “You should come out Yajirobi I know you’re here.”

The overweight samurai appeared out from the trees. “How did you know?”

“You need to work on hiding your energy better.”

Yajirobi said nothing.

“Look I don’t know if you’ve been avoiding us but I think you should know anyway. The saiyans are arriving tomorrow.”

“What? But that’s a month early!”

“We know.” Krillin sighed “However since there’s nothing we can do to change that we’ll just do what we can.”

Again the samurai was speechless and his face showed his defeat before the fighting had even begun.

“Hey,” Krillin said placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t forget you were trained by Kami as well. We could use your help you know.”

A nod was the samurai’s only response.

“Plus when this is over I’ll treat you to dinner. How’s that sound?”

That got a smile out of the tubby tank. “I’ll hold ya to that.”

Krillin grinned before shooting back into the sky.

* * *

 

“He’s back!”

Krillin could hear Gohan’s excited cry as he came in for landing. Before long the others joined all of them ready with questions. However, it was Gohan’s that hurt the most.

“Where’s my dad?”

Krillin winced before readying himself. “Goku’s not here yet. He’s not going to get here in time for the saiyans arrival.”

“It’s going to take more than a month to get here?” Tien asked.

“It’s going to take him two days. But the saiyans will be here tomorrow.”

Instead of the stream of shouts and yells Krillin expected he received something far worse, complete silence.

_Maybe it’s better if I don’t mention the senzu beans either._

“So what do we do Krillin? Do we keep training?” Chiaotzu asked at last.

“No, instead relax and try to keep your mind busy. We’re going to need to be at our best tomorrow.”

“That’s all?” Yamcha said. “Isn’t there anything else we can do?”

“We’ve done everything we can.” Krillin said, “Which means we’ll have to work with what we’ve got.”

The silence returned for a moment before being broken by a hard laugh.

“Leave it to you humans to cower in fear once the danger is here.” Piccolo spat. “Feel free to wallow in your misery if you wish but I’ll have no part in it.”

With a wave of his cape, Piccolo took off into the sky leaving the others far behind.

“In that case, I’m going to get some food,” Tien said. “Chiaotzu you want to come with?”

Chiaotzu paused before speaking. “No Tien, I’m okay. You go on without me.”

Without another word, Chiaotzu flew away without looking back. Tien was surprised but let his friend go before heading deeper into the forest himself.

“I guess I’ll go train or something,” Yamcha said while stretching. “No point in wasting the rest of the day.”

“Wait-” Krillin started but was interrupted by Yamcha’s smirk.

“Don’t worry I won’t push myself too hard. I’ll be ready for tomorrow.” The former bandit said as he ran off.

“What are you going to do Mr. Krillin?” Gohan asked his voice shaking a little.

“What do you want to do Gohan?”

“…I want to sleep.”

* * *

 

Hours later Krillin woke up stretching his head and rubbing eyes.

_Guess I was more tired than I thought._

After stretching for a moment Krillin scanned Gohan’s cave looking for the young half-saiyan. He had agreed to stay with Gohan to help him fall asleep in his cave but at some point, he himself had drifted off. Now that he was awake it didn’t take him a long time to discover that at some point Gohan had left him.

_Better to let him go._

In that moment Krillin sensed a small spike in energy coming from further in the forest.

_Is that, Yamcha?_

The monk flew up skyward to get a bird’s eye view of his friend to see how he was doing.

_He’s probably just lashing out trying to blow off some steam._

To the monk’s surprise, he found the former bandit quietly practicing. He was going through his own series of movements in a calm and calculated manner.

_That’s surprising._ Krillin thought as he landed.

“Hey, Krillin,” Yamcha said without breaking his form.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Okay, I guess but it’s hard to concentrate.” Yamcha slid out of his stance and let his body weigh him down as he fell to the ground. “This just got a lot harder.”

“When has anything we’ve ever done been easy?”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Krillin offered a hand to which Yamcha quickly took it and was pulled to his feet.

“You know,” Yamcha said slowly. “I talked to Bulma.”

“How did that go?”

“Well, we broke up for one,” Yamcha said as if it were a side note.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, we are just too different.”

“What do you mean?”

Yamcha sighed. “Well I mean she’s an elite right? The best of the best, she’s a genius who lives in a mansion that probably cost more money than I could imagine. Her father created one of the most influential companies in the world. Me, I used to rob people so I could eat.”

“You seemed to get along just fine for a while.”

“Sure, on the surface. But I never really felt like I belonged with her in that world. I guess I’m just used to simpler things.”

“Like what?”

“Not much, a good fight, maybe a flirt here and there. I think she really wanted to settle down.”

“I guess I can understand.”

“Plus, I’m pretty sure she wants a kid someday and there is no way I’m doing that.”

“So how’d you guys leave it?”

“A bit of screaming at first and she threw a couple of books at me but that’s nothing new.”

“Geez, I’m scared to find out what is.”

“Well, I’m sure the saiyan threat scares her too. After she calmed down we talked about, things. In the end, we decided it would be best to just be friends.”

“How do you feel about that?”

Yamcha smiled “Good, it’s always nice to have a friend after all.”

“I’m glad.”

 “Of course things will be awkward for a bit. But eventually, she’ll find a nice, smart guy get married and have twelve kids or something. You know if we survive.”

“We will,” Krillin said firmly.

“What makes you so confident?”

“I have to be. I’m the leader.”

“Oh yeah, never thought I’d be taking orders from you. No offense.”

“Well, I never thought you would listen. No offense.”

 Yamcha laughed before letting a soft breeze take hold of the conversation. “I won’t die pointlessly.”

Krillin said nothing but gave Yamcha his full attention.

“If this is as far as I go that’s fine. But I'll make sure it means something. I can promise you that much.”

Krillin smiled. “As long as you don’t forget you still have to show me how to talk to girls.”

“That might be harder than fighting the saiyans.”

Krillin shot his friend a glare. “Hey! I got some moves.”

“I’m sure you do. Have any of them worked?”

Krillin grew silent.

“That’s what I thought. Here’s a tip, one of the secret ways of meeting someone is to stop trying.”

“Huh?”

“Sometimes things work in a way where you just end up face to face with someone. If they like what they see they’ll show it. Sometimes in ways, you can’t possibly imagine.”

“How will I know?”

“I’ll tell you that after we win.”

“That’s fair,” Krillin said with a smile.

“Now get out of here. I’m trying to train.”

Krillin nodded and left his friend in peace.

* * *

 

As the monk flew in search of dinner he sensed a big burst of energy coming from his left.

_Chiaotzu?_

This burst was quickly followed by an explosion scattering the forest trees and forcing the nearby animals to seek safety. Wasting no time Krillin shot towards his friend in hopes of finding out what was wrong.

“Dodon ray!”

The smallest marital artist pointed his glowing finger at another sizeable boulder and let the beam shot out of him like a gunshot. The mound of stone stood no chance as it was quickly disintegrated by the blast.

“Dodon ray!”

This time Chiaotzu’s target was a collection of trees to his right. The energy cut through the thick wood like it wasn’t even there. With nothing support them the mighty sky scrapers fell to the Earth which forced, even more, animals to flee.

“The forest isn’t a worthy opponent.”

Chiaotzu turned to see Krillin landing to his side.

“I’m training.”

“Really? It looks like you’re just attacking everything you see.”

Chiaotzu glared but couldn’t hold on to it. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Krillin walked over and patted his friend on the back. “I understand.”

“It’s not fair. We were supposed to have another month left.”

“Then we’d be in the same place in a month. Frankly speaking, this whole thing isn’t very fair.”

Chiaotzu said nothing but let his head hang low. “Am I going to die?”

Krillin wasn’t sure what to say so he let silence speak for him.

“I already died once, I can’t come back.”

“You know, if you die we’ll probably be right behind you,” Krillin said trying to lighten the mood.

“This isn’t a joke Krillin!” Chiaotzu shouted.

The monk was stunned but recovered after a moment. “Look, I get it. I’m probably the only one here who gets it. Tien, Yamcha, even Gohan. If things go south for them there’s still a chance they can come back. But for you and me, this could be it.”

“Then why aren’t you scared?”

“Who says I’m not?” Krillin said sitting down on the grass. “If it were just me I’d most likely be asking Bulma to build me a spaceship. Then I’d wait in space for this whole thing to be over.”

“What if they blow up the planet?” Chiaotzu asked sitting next to his friend.

“…I actually haven’t thought that far.”

Chiaotzu laughed which wiped the tension from the air as if it were never there.

 “You know Kami once asked me if I could fight for the entire Earth. Put six billion lives on my shoulder and fight knowing that if I fail everything is gone.”

“What did you say?”

“Well, I wanted to say yes. You know like a hero in a movie would but thinking like that, it’s too much. I’m still not strong enough. So instead I’m here for something else.”

“What?”

“Before Raditz arrived Goku asked him if I could protect Gohan and Chichi if anything happened to him.” Krillin frowned. “It wasn’t until he was dying in front of me did I tell him I would. So that’s why I’m here, to keep that promise. Not to save the world, just one family.”

“Oh.”

Krillin looked at his friend, the smallest among them, and the only one smaller than him.

“So, why are you here?”

Chiaotzu looked at him with a loss for words. “I don’t want to be.” He said eventually.

“None of us do. But Kami told us we could leave. Why did you stay?”

“I mean, no one else was going to leave. I just couldn’t leave you guys.”

“Then you’re here for us.”

The smallest looked at the monk for an explanation.

“You placed us before yourself. Do you know who does that?”

“Who?” Chiaotzu asked.

“A hero.”

“I thought heroes were only in movies.”

“True, then I guess you’re just a bald midget like me.”

Chiaotzu’s cheeks puffed out as he tried to stop a laugh. He tried so hard he held both hands over his mouth and doubled over to hide his reaction.

“Hey, it wasn’t that funny.”

Expect Chiaotzu wasn’t laughing. The tiny fighter had begun to cry his entire body shivering as if he was freezing.

“I don’t want to die,” Chiaotzu said after some time.

Krillin watched for a moment and then slowly put a hand on his friend’s back.

* * *

 

“Hey, Krillin.”

The monk turned to see Tien walking up to him. After Chiaotzu had calmed down he decided to give the smallest fighter some space and had left to resume his search for dinner.

“Have you seen Chiaotzu? I’ve been worried about him since he left.” Tien continued.

 “I think he needs some time alone.”

 “Oh, alright.” said Tien, “Where’s Gohan?”

“I don’t know, maybe he got hungry”

“He’s always hungry.” Tien sighed. “Just like his father, I suppose.”

Krillin laughed which gave Tien just enough time to throw a punch aimed at his friend’s head. Krillin noticed the shift in Tien’s stance and knew the punch was coming. Ducking quickly he let the fist cut above him and whipped a kick at his friend’s unprotected ankle. However, Tien knew that Krillin would dodge his first attack and leaped into the air to avoid the monk’s retaliation.

“Is this your way of asking for a spar?” Krillin shouted up to his friend.

“Do you accept?” Tien shot back.

“When have I not?”

“Good, now I won’t feel bad about this!”

The three-eyed warrior formed a triangle with his hands and sent a jolt of ki into them.

“Tri-beam!”

The shot of energy that came down on Krillin forced the monk to seek cover in denser part of the forest.

“Oh, no you don’t!”

Tien followed Krillin as best he could and fired another shot burning trees and kicking up dust. From the dust, two fighters lunged at Tien, both of them Krillin.

“Still stealing my techniques huh?” Tien said as he split himself into two as well and engaged the twin monks.

* * *

 

“You got faster,” Krillin said after the spar died down.

“I had to if I wanted to keep up with you,” Tien replied. 

Krillin smiled and sat down on the edge of a crater that Tien had made during the fight. “Guess I need to stop slacking off.”

“Especially if you still want to stay the leader after this fight,” Tien said with a grin.

Krillin nodded in agreement but said nothing and let the peace of the moment wash over him.

“Do you think we have a chance?” Tien said breaking that peace.

 The monk sighed.

 “Well?” asked Tien.

“Honestly I don’t know. Raditz said that the two coming are even stronger but what does that mean? We’re strong enough to beat him one on one and we’ve also got numbers on our side. We’ve been training and planning non-stop for almost a full year I can’t imagine us losing. But, there is a chance of that. These saiyans are going to the strongest enemy we’ve ever faced. We also just lost a month of practice and Goku isn’t going to be here to help either. We could lose everything. At the very least we’ve done everything we can, I suppose. If we lose then the entire planet will be destroyed. But at least we’ll be all together.”

“That’s one way of looking at it,” Tien said joining Krillin by sitting on the edge.

“It’s not the conclusion I want but it could happen. If I die here I suppose I was destined to never have a girlfriend.”

“Is that what you’re worried about?”

“Well I mean, yeah. I’d have liked to go out with at least one girl before risking my life to save the world.”

“Why? What can a girlfriend give you?”

Krillin stared at Tien for a long while. _Is this guy’s brain made of martial arts?_

“It’s not what a girlfriend can give you,” Krillin said eventually. “It’s just that they’d you know, be there.”

“Is that it?”

Krillin sighed. “I guess you wouldn’t understand.”

“Of course not, I have no time for romance, my training comes first.”

Krillin rolled his eyes. “What about Launch?”

“What about Launch?” Tien shot back.

“What do you think about her?”

“…She’s loud.”

“…Is that it?”

“She is an unwanted burden but doesn’t seem to realize it. If she isn’t following me she’s pointing a gun at Chiaotzu.”

“Well, what about when she has blue hair?”

“Then she’s too aloof like she has no idea what’s happening around her.”

“So there’s nothing good about her?”

 Tien went quiet for a moment and stared at the blue sky.

“She has a nice laugh.”

“Huh?”

“When she has blue hair she laughs a lot. When she has blond hair she doesn’t laugh as much. But, I guess it’s nice either way.”

_It’s a start I guess._

 The monk jumped to his feet and wiped the dirt away from his gi.

“I’m going to head out I still need to catch some dinner.”

“Need some help?” Tien said looking at his friend.

“I’ll be fine besides I think everyone could use a day for themselves.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you later.”

Krillin nodded and took off into the blue sky.

* * *

 

_Gotcha!_ Krillin thought as he snatched another fish from the river.

The monk threw the creature into a self-made basket to join the others Krillin had caught. Months of hunting had made catching dinner quite easy. Gone were the days when Krillin would only end up with a small rabbit for a meal.

_Though I’m still stuck doing everyone’s laundry._

Fighting off the sigh that followed Krillin snapped his hand back into the river and pulled up two more fish.

_That should be enough._

Tossing the two into the basket Krillin stepped out of the cold water and threw on his pants.

“Guess I’ll start cooking, would you like to join me?”

Piccolo, who had been masking his energy behind a tree stepped out into the opening.

“You really like doing that don’t you?” Krillin said before offering the demon a fish. “Hungry?”

“You know I don’t eat.”

“Just asking.”

Krillin walked over to the pile of logs he had collected and set fire to them with a quick blast of ki. “You sure you don’t want any? I got a nice catch this time.”

Piccolo said nothing.

“Suit yourself.”

Krillin picked up one of the fish he had caught and cut its belly open with a swift cut of a ki encased hand. Taking sticks he had found earlier he speared the dead fish through its mouth. He then sat down and held his prize over the roaring fire letting the flame lick the mighty salmon.

“Are you frightened?” Piccolo said as he walked around the fire and sat down across from the monk.

 “Did you think I wasn’t?” Krillin responded. “What about you? Scared?”

“Hardly.” Piccolo snorted. “I will kill these saiyans and then move on to you and your miserable friends.”

Krillin smiled at the threat and watched his food cook.

“I don’t think Gohan would like that. He’d probably be really sad you decided to kill his friends and family.”

“I do not care what that runt thinks of me.”

_Of course not._

The two wasted time watching the fire grill the fish and breathing in the calm.

“You know I never knew your father.”

Piccolo said nothing but the monk had his attention.

“I was killed by one of his minions or something early on so I never got to meet him. When everyone said you were the evil reincarnation of King Piccolo I just accepted that. I didn’t really have anything to compare you too.”

“You believe me to be different?”

“Don’t get me wrong you did some pretty messed up stuff at the tournament. Though from what I’ve seen you’ve changed a bit since then.”

“Changed? You’re a bigger fool than I thought.” Piccolo said with a glare.

“I guess so,” Krillin said as he flipped the fish so the other side could cook. “Maybe I’ve changed too since I don’t really find you scary anymore.”

“That is a mistake,” Piccolo said slowly.

“Perhaps, but Gohan isn’t afraid of you so why should I be?”

“Because I’ll kill you,” Piccolo said with narrowed eyes.

 “Fine, if you must. Of course, if you die tomorrow you won’t be able to. Plus Gohan will be sad.”

“Hmph, I have no plans for dying.”

“You won’t, as long as I’ve got your back.”

“I have no need for your ‘protection’.”

“Well, you’ve got it either way.”

Piccolo looked at Krillin unsure what to make of the monk. Krillin returned the stare as he tore into his dinner “Last chance. It’s really tasty.”

Piccolo stood up.

“You hide your fear well.”

Krillin smiled. “Thank you.”

Piccolo snorted and then took off into the sky leaving Krillin with his fish.

* * *

 

Krillin continued to stare at the flame sometime watching his third fish burn. The bones of the first and second remained by his side. Casting his gaze upwards Krillin watched the sky greet him by countless stars.

_The day went quickly. And so did my dinner._

He then returned to his dinner having cooked through most of his meal he only had one fish left. He turned the fish upside down to cook the underbelly the delicious smell wafting through his senses.

_Never thought my last meal could be fish. Unless I have time for breakfast tomorrow, should have asked Kami what time the saiyans are going to arrive._

Krillin’s scowl stayed with him until he felt the presence of the young boy he had been looking for.

“There you are.” He said aloud staring at a thicker part of the forest. “I was wondering where you had gone.”

Gohan emerged surprised. “I thought I had you.”

“You’re getting better at hiding your energy but I heard you coming.”

“I didn’t make a sound.”

“Maybe you didn’t.” Krillin laughed. “But your stomach did.”

Gohan flushed but walked over to the monk’s fire.

“Here,” Krillin said handing him the last fish. “Growing boys need to eat.”

The half saiyan took the stick and sat down munching away at the seafood. Krillin offered a small smile but it wasn’t long until the only sound between them was the crackling of the fire.

“Mr. Krillin?” Gohan squeaked as he finished his dinner.

“Yeah?”

“Why isn’t my dad going to be here?”

 “...He’s coming Gohan, but it’s going to take some time.”

 Gohan looked down at the ground his head hanging low.

“I’m scared.”

Krillin stared at the tiny saiyan unsure how to comfort the boy.

 “Gohan; let me tell you a story.”

The four-year-old sniffled but looked at the monk with watery eyes.

“Is it the one about general blue?”

“No, not that one.”

“Is it the one about you fighting Master Roshi disguised as Jackie Chun?”

“No, it’s-”

“Is it the one where my dad fights the red ribbon army? Or the one when he fights grandpa Gohan?”

“Wow, I’ve told you a lot of stories.”

Gohan smiled weakly. “I like them.”

“I’m glad, but this story is one I haven’t told you before.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about my first real fight.”

“You mean when you fought my dad over a rock?”

“No,” Krillin said while scratching his head. “That one didn’t count. I’m talking about my first fight at the 21st world martial arts tournament.”

Gohan shifted a bit to get more comfortable his eyes growing wide at the idea of a brand new story.

“Your father and I had completed our training with Master Roshi but he didn’t teach us anything. As far as I knew we had just delivered milk for eight months. We didn’t feel any stronger and to me, it just seemed like a big waste of time. Despite that, we stood in a giant hall surrounded with the strongest people in the world! We were just two kids who just did everything an old man told them. I thought we were doomed but even then, your dad didn’t lose hope.”

**It’s going to be alright! We trained ourselves just like Grandpa told us to!**

“He was first up to fight against a guy three times his size!”

Gohan nodded his attention completely in Krillin’s hands.

“I thought he was a goner but you’ll never guess what happened next.”

“What?”

“He beat that guy with one finger,” Krillin said holding his own finger to sell the story.

“Woah!”

Krillin grinned, these stories about Goku always had the same effect on Gohan and it was always nice to see the kid smile.

“What happened next?” Gohan asked his face beaming.

“Next was my fight and it was against a senior from my old temple.”

“Did you beat him?”

“I did, but I didn’t think I could at first.”

Gohan looked confused.

“Why not? You’re so strong.”

“I wasn’t always silly. I was actually scared to fight against him.”

“You were scared?”

“I was. I was scared all the way up to the ring and just before the first punch was thrown.”

“What happened?”

Krillin smiled. “I kicked him so hard he flew out of the building.”

Gohan couldn’t stop the grin that splayed out across his face. “Wow.”

“So you see Gohan everyone gets scared.”

“My dad doesn’t,” Gohan said his grin disappearing.

_That’s because he’s not human._ Krillin paused and returned his attention to the fire that lay between him and the half-saiyan. “That maybe so but Gohan, you don’t have to be your dad.”

Gohan looked up at the monk.

“I didn’t tell you that story to show you how great your dad is. I told you that story so you can understand that you need to do the best with what you’ve got. As far as I was concerned I wasn’t ready for that fight but I was thrown in any way. Things turned out in my favor but I could have lost that fight just as easily. These saiyans are coming if we wake up tomorrow or not. So there’s only one thing we can do.”

“…What?”

**Just fight and see.**

“Just fight and see Gohan.”

The four year old's chin trembled before the first tears dropped out of his eyes. “I …I don’t want to fight.”

Krillin rushed over and hugged the boy. “I know. I’m sorry you have to.”

* * *

 

At 11:33 AM, it happened. Krillin’s eyes went to the east as he felt an incredible surge of ki wash over him. “They’re here.”

The others grew silent as they turned towards the monk.

“They’ll be able to sense us with their scouters soon enough. This means they’ll be coming to us.”

The others nodded the situation finally becoming real.

“We’ve trained for this day for months. They’re strong but we’re-”

Krillin’s speech was cut short as the martial artist could see, hear, and feel a tower of ki detonate in the direction of the saiyans. The Earth itself trembled as the warriors could feel the tremors from the burst miles away.

“What was that?” Yamcha asked his eyes growing wide.

 “They landed in a city,” Piccolo said slowly as he began to take off his weighted clothing. “East City.”

Gohan looked. “Then all those people.”

“They’re gone.” Tien smashed his fists together. “And they’ll stay gone unless we can win.”

Gohan hung his head. “Mr. Krillin?”

Krillin gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. “They’re moving, but we are going to stop them here. Don’t think about what’s been lost, stay in the fight and we’ll make it out alive. We know there are two of them, go for the weaker one first if there is one. We need to hold out until Goku gets here. That means we stall as long as possible.”

Krillin turned to look at his friends. “Everyone’s going home after this.”

Then the monk’s stare went skyward to the two saiyans slowly descended upon them.

“That’s a promise.”


	14. Arrival

 

The two saiyans hovered in the air for a moment looking down at the crowd of warriors.

“Their ki is insane,” Yamcha said slowly. “Blowing up East city must have been nothing for them.”

“We’re fine, we’re not letting them have another one,” Krillin said quickly.

The group watched the saiyans begin to drop the sense of dread only increasing the closer they got. Krillin noticed their outfits matched Raditz’s very closely and they wore their scouters in the same fashion as well. The aliens landed and Krillin got his first clear view of the enemy. Just like Raditz the two of them could pass for human save for the brown monkey tail that was wrapped around their waists like a belt. One was a mountain of pure muscle. The only hair on his face was a thin mustache that surrounded a grin he deserved to wear. He stood a person taller than the saiyan next to him whose hair stretched up toward the sky like a tower.

_You can’t even compare them to Raditz. If they rush us at the same time we won’t have a chance._

“So we finally meet.”

The smaller saiyan’s words carried a heavy weight to them and his grin told the group that he had been looking forward to this for a very long time.

“I’m only going to say this once.” Piccolo started “Leave this planet. This is your first and last chance to get out of this alive.”

The smaller saiyan’s smile only grew after Piccolo’s threat knowing that this fight was inevitable. “Hmm, I recognize your voice. You’re the one who killed Raditz.”

 “My voice?”

“Didn’t Raditz tell you? Our scouters also work as communicators.”

 “The green one’s from Namek isn’t he?” The taller saiyan said.

_Namek?_ Krillin thought trying to remember if Raditz had mentioned that planet before.

“Yes, he’s from Namek alright.” The shorter saiyan said smoothly. “No wonder Raditz had such a hard time with him and Kakarot.”

Krillin’s eyes went to Piccolo only to find the green demon’s face had gone as white as it could. “I’m from another planet?”

“You didn’t know?” The shorter saiyan laughed. “That’s a surprise! Surely you must have suspected something or did you just believe yourself to be human? The green skin and pointy ears are a dead giveaway don’t you think?”

Piccolo's hands tightened into a fist and for the first time doubt clouded the namekian’s mind.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Piccolo turned towards the little monk.

“It doesn’t matter where he’s from he’s with us. Now you’ve lost your chance to leave so tell us this. What do you want?”

“Oh, a human with some fight,” The smaller saiyan grinned. “Very well little man we are here for the dragon balls now tell us where they are.”

_So they do know about them._

“We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Krillin said slowly.

“Don’t play with us human.” The larger saiyan commanded. “We know the balls are down here and make no mistake. We will find them, with you alive or with you dead.”

The threat was effective as the saiyan sent out a pulse of energy with his words forcing Gohan and Chiaotzu to take a step back.

“Hmph you seem to think we’ll just bow down to your demands,” Piccolo said his confidence restored. “Namek or not this is my planet now and no one is going to tell me what to do with it.”

_‘My planet’ he says. Guess he’s still a demon even if he does come from space…Wait what’s that sound?_

Krillin thoughts were scattered as six helicopters flew over each one with a camera crew on board.

 “Come on Mike get me closer! I need a better shot of the aliens!” A man Krillin recognized as Barry Walters shouted.

_What are they doing here? How did they even know about this?_

It was then Krillin’s blood ran cold as looked back towards the saiyans. “Oh no.”

The shorter saiyan paid no mind the reporters but the larger saiyan’s eyes gleamed with uncontrolled joy at the addition of the new humans. Turning towards the helicopters the saiyan had already gathered a sizeable amount of energy into his right hand. With a sneer, the mountain of muscle launched an explosive ki blast at the closest camera crew. The ball of death streaked towards the reporters crackling with power.

However, the explosion that the large alien desired never came. Krillin began to move as soon as the reporters arrived knowing exactly what the saiyans would be planning. With that extra second of action, the monk was able to place himself in between the sphere of dense energy and the innocents. Shifting his ki so that it encased only his right arm Krillin swung his fist at the blast and batted the ball away from the news crews. With a new direction, the sphere flew away from the monk soaring into a nearby mountain where it detonated and immediately vaporized the giant chunk of rock. For a moment all was still. The only sounds were the sizzle from Krillin’s right arm and the turn of the helicopter's blades.

 “Hey. Human.”

Krillin looked down at the saiyan who had fired the shot.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

The monk’s anger grew and he barred his teeth. “These people are not here to fight, let them go.”

“Oh? Why would we? Because you told us too?” said the smaller saiyan.

“No.” Krillin spat. “You’ll do it if you want the dragon balls.”

“Oh?” The shorter saiyan said with a grin. “So you do know about them.”

_There goes that advantage._

“Yes I do, I’ll tell you all about them.”

“How kind of you.” The saiyan with hair said through a sneer.

“Only if you spare them.”

The small saiyan took a moment. “Very well, Nappa let them go.”

“What? What are you saying Vegeta?”

“Our wish is more important than your bloodlust Nappa. Let. Them. Go.”

The now named Nappa glared at Krillin but remained still.

_So their names are Vegeta and Nappa._

Still floating in midair the monk turned toward the reporters who had been unable to leave on fear of death. “If you want to live you need to go now. Tell everyone you can to avoid this area. Understood?”

A few reporters nodded and those that didn’t were already flying away.

_Guess that was enough to scare them off._

Krillin floated over to his friends and landed.

“That was idiotic,” Piccolo said immediately.

“I know.”

“How’s your arm?” Chiaotzu asked with concern.

“Completely numb. If he was half serious about that attack it would have gone right through me.”

“Enough talk!” Nappa shouted. “We let the weaklings go. Now tell us about the dragonballs!”

“What do you want to know?” Yamcha said.

“How to find them,” Nappa said his patience running out. “We heard the Namekian tell Raditz they can grant any wish. So there’s no use in lying!”

“Why do you even want them?” Tien asked, “To wish Raditz back to life?”

“Ha! As if we would waste the wish on that little nothing!” The mound of muscle laughed. “We’re going to the wish for-”

“Nappa!”

Nappa turned to Vegeta his anger easy to see. “You’re talking too much.”

“Oh, sorry Vegeta.”

This back and forth didn’t escape the notice of Krillin who looked to his friends for confirmation. The others nodded and Krillin knew what the next move would be. They would attack Nappa first.

_Get here quick Goku._

“Now, tell us where the dragon balls are human,” Nappa said with a sneer.

“Why would I do that?” Krillin said. “I said I would tell you about the dragon balls not where they are.”

Nappa’s eyes grew wide with shock and then with fury. “…You little snake.”

Krillin could see that large saiyan’s cocky grin fade as he realized he’d been tricked. No doubt Nappa would have charged at the group then and there if Vegeta didn’t take that opportunity to laugh.

“Looks like they played you, Nappa.”

“Yeah, well it’s the last time. Now I’m going to take my time killing them.”

“In due time Nappa, so human. Here’s my question. How do the dragon balls work?”

“It’s simple,” Krillin said slowly. “You gather them all together and summon the dragon; he’s the one who grants your wish.”

“Interesting, then tell me how many balls do you need to gather before you can summon this dragon?”

“Four.”

“Really? Only four?” Vegeta said with an eyebrow raised. “I could have sworn I heard the Namekian say seven.”

“And I’m saying four; it’s up to you to choose who you believe.”

Vegeta eyes narrowed down hard on Krillin but the monk was able to take the glare and return one of his own.

“We’re wasting time Vegeta,” Nappa said as he reached to turn on his scouter. “Let’s just take a look at their power levels.”

“Don’t bother Nappa,” Vegeta said already taking his scouter off.

“What? Why not?”

“Don’t you remember Raditz’s fight? It seems they how to concentrate energy and raise their fighting powers. The scouters are worthless to us now.”

“You’re right that weakling Raditz probably lowered his guard and got killed because he was too obsessed with the readings,” Nappa said taking his own scouter off and placing it on the ground next to Vegeta’s.

Chiaotzu shot a nervous glance towards Krillin and the monk knew why.

_That’s exactly what we were planning. Didn’t think they would throw away their scouters before the fighting even started._

“We can ask them where the dragon balls are later but in the meantime let’s see what this planet’s warriors are capable of. We should have at least six saibamen left don’t we Nappa?”

“You sure like to play around Vegeta.”

Nappa reached into a pocket and pulled out a jar with six pellets floating in a green liquid.

“Yep, we got six just like you said.”

Dropping down to one knee the large saiyan japed his finger into the Earth six times making a small hole big enough for the pellets.

“They’ll grow nicely in this soil.”

Dropping the pellets into the ground Nappa covered the holes with dirt and watered each one with the green liquid.

“Mr. Krillin, what are they doing?”

“…I don’t know Gohan.”

Before the monk could say another word the holes dug by the saiyan began to shake and widen. Cracks began to form in the Earth as in each hole something green began to emerge from beneath the ground. Soon six creatures burst their way out, of the now too small holes. They stood on two legs with two arms by their side but they were far from looking human. The creatures were about the small height as Gohan but were completely green save for their glowing red eyes. Instead of fingers and toes, the saibamen had three claws on each appendage perfect for gouging and cutting. Gohan started to shake at the sight at the twisted creatures cackling at their birth.

“Be still brat.” Piccolo spat.

Despite the harsh tone the message got through as the boy nodded and the shaking stopped.

“Now then, since our numbers are now uneven I propose a way to even the odds,” Vegeta said his grin growing. “A contest of strength, taking turns to fight one at a time. We’ll make it a little game.”

_Good, the longer we can make this last the more time Goku has of getting here._

Krillin locked eyes with Tien and nodded.

“That’s fine with us.” The three-eyed warrior said smashing his fists together. “I’ll go first.”

“Good luck Tien!” Chiaotzu shouted as Tien walked forward and readied himself for battle.

The saibaman cackled some more before dashing toward Tien. The creature swiped at his foe with its claws hoping to dig and tear flesh. However, before the strike can connect Tien countered with a punch that knocked the alien back. Surprised but still laughing the saibaman switches tactics as its head splits open to spray out a torrent of acid. Tien dashed to the side and the deadly liquid fell to the ground melting the very earth it landed on. Tien closed the distance and jammed his elbow into the creature’s neck, breaking it in half. The saibaman fell to its side gurgling and twitching but the fight didn’t end until Tien brought his heel down on the creatures head, killing it.

“You’re going to have to do better than that.”

Nappa’s shocked expression was easy to see and Krillin let himself grin at the sight of it. However, the monk’s smile was easily matched by Vegeta who seemed almost pleased.

“This is impossible!” said Nappa “The saibamen’s power is over 1,200 equal to Raditz. They should have won!”

“The fact that it lost just means that the human’s power was greater. Use your head, Nappa.” Vegeta then turned to the remaining saibamen.

“Your comrade underestimated his enemy, do the same and you’ll end up dead like him, by their hands or mine.”

The saibamen tensed up but one stepped forward ready to fight.

“This time hit ‘em with everything!” Nappa ordered.

The saibaman nodded and brought its attention to the warriors of Earth.

“I’ll go next,” Yamcha said striding forward.

“Are you sure?” Krillin asked.

“We have to save our big guns for later, right?”

“Right.”

Yamcha gave threw his friend a thumbs up and turned to face the saibaman.

“All right green guy; let’s see if you’re any better than your friend.”

“I wonder human, if you have the skill to back up such confidence,” Vegeta said with a smirk.

“Damn right,” Yamcha replied as he slid into a stance.

The bandit and saibaman stood across from each other but they didn’t stay still for long. Seizing both the first move and the advantage Yamcha shot forward with speed that surprised the saibaman and Krillin. The only counter the creature could come up with was to shoot to the side hoping to avoid a clash. Yamcha followed moving so quickly both of them disappeared from view.

“Can you see them Gohan?” Krillin asked.

“Yeah, I think so.” The young saiyan answered.

“Feel out the movement of their ki, just like we practiced.”

“Okay.”

The two reappeared as they smashed into each other both of them using their full force. However, Yamcha had the advantage in speed, size, and strength. Soon the saibaman began to lose ground as the bandit pushed forward. With a flurry of punches cornering the small green creature, it had no choice but to leap into the air to gain some distance. Yamcha hunted down his prey still searching for the perfect opening. The saibaman leap carried him to the top of a small mountain with Yamcha still chasing it down. Seeing Yamcha barreling forward the saibaman leaped toward the bandit, arms spread wide.

“GREEH!” The creature shrieked.

Yamcha only grinned in response. As the saibaman claws closed in Yamcha increased his speed to the point where he disappeared from view. He then reemerged above his opponent already gathering energy into his hands. 

“Gotcha.”

Thrusting the gathered ki forward the blast connected forcing the saibaman to the ground digging into the Earth and creating a crater where the creature lay unmoving.

“Guess, these monsters of yours aren’t as tough as you think,” Yamcha said to Vegeta and Nappa. “Looks like your little game turned into a slaughter.”

Vegeta smiled. “It’s a little too early to celebrate human.” 

Yamcha looked at the saiyan in confusion which distracted him long enough for the saibaman to spring back to life and leap onto the former bandit. Before Yamcha could react the creature warped both of its hands and feet around him.

“Geeh.” The saibaman grinned before it started to glow and shake.

Krillin wanted to scream for Yamcha to get away to somehow escape from the saibaman’s iron grip. But the words were caught in his throat when the creature detonated with his friend still caught.

“Yamcha!” Krillin shouted but the explosion deafened his cries, dug into the ground, and enveloped the area with dust and bits of the very Earth.

“Now that’s more like it,” Vegeta said proudly.

“It…it just self-destructed,” Piccolo said slowly the situation finally hitting Earth’s warriors.

Krillin ran forward toward the rising smoke his vision blurred by the dust as he desperately tried to find the figure of his friend or any indication that his friend was still alive.

“I’m alright!”

What he got was a voice and the sight of Yamcha standing tall. His clothes a little ragged, torn up, and he was coughing from the smoke but Yamcha was just as he said, alright.

“That was close.”

Krillin let out a long breath and let himself relax.

“Glad you taught me how to make a barrier. I got it up just in time.” The former bandit turned toward the saiyans. “It’ll take more than that to kill me!”

Yamcha took a step but his strength failed him and his knees buckled under his own weight. He would have fallen but Krillin was there to catch him.

“Those are big words for a man who can’t even stand.” Nappa laughed.

Yamcha glared but could do no more.

“Ignore him,” Krillin said shifting his weight so he could help his friend walk back to the others.

“Thought we lost you back there,” Tien said with a grin.

“I’m not out of the fight just yet,” Yamcha replied.

“You are for now,” Krillin said letting his friend sit and rest. “I’ll take the next one.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

Krillin turned to face Vegeta who wore a grin that seemed painted on his face.

“The child is going to fight.”

The monk didn’t even have to look at Gohan’s face to know that the young saiyan was scared stiff.

“Did you not hear me?” Krillin said digging his heels into the dirt. “I said I’m going next.”

“I heard you human.” The smaller saiyan said his grin vanishing for just a second. “I chose to ignore you. The child will fight because he’s saiyan even if he’s only a half-breed.”

It took Krillin a second to answer his own question as to how Vegeta could possibly know that.

_The scouters, Raditz must have told them._

“He’s not fighting. I am.”

“I’ve been lenient with you human but no more. The child will fight or we will kill you all right now.”

Krillin and the others could feel the power radiating off Vegeta as he spoke.

_He’s serious, plus he’s got the strength to back that up. Even if we rush them all at once we’ll lose. Goku, should I-?_

“I’ll do it.”

The voice was small enough that Krillin almost didn’t even notice it. The monk turned to face Gohan the five-year-old who couldn’t help hang his head and shake in fear.

“I’ll fight.”

Krillin took a knee so that he was eye-level with the young saiyan.

“I’m scared. But so were you, you were scared so it’s okay that I am, right?” Gohan sniffed and began to wipe his eyes his shaking only getting worse.

Krillin put a hand on the boy’s shoulder which brought Gohan’s head up so he could look at his teacher in the eyes.

“You’re right Gohan. It’s okay to be scared.”

The monk reached into his pocket and pulled out the last remaining senzu bean.

“I want you to have this Gohan. I want you to take it if at any point you get hurt or too scared, understand?”

 “But this is…”

Before the boy could say another word Krillin grabbed the back of his head and smashed into his forehead and held it there.

“Ow! Mr. Krillin! What was that-”

“I made a promise to your father.”

Gohan stopped talking.

“I promised that I would protect you from harm, both you and your mother. I promised to take care of you.”

Krillin released his grip and looked at Gohan once more.

“You’re going home Gohan but you have to fight for that. Are you ready?”

The young saiyan wiped his eyes one final time took the senzu bean put it in his pocket and nodded firmly. “Yes!”

Krillin smiled. “Good, go get them.”

Gohan nodded again and then walked forward to the battleground. Vegeta motioned to one of the remaining saibaman who made its way to face the young saiyan, cackling the whole way. Krillin watched on but gave a quick look to Piccolo who stood by his side.

“He’ll win,” Krillin said slowly.

“He better.”

Gohan and the saibaman looked at each other both sizing the other up and waiting for the moment to begin the fight. Gohan nervously slid into a familiar stance while the saibaman’s laugh grew harder. Gohan shivered slightly at the scene and the green creature took that as the signal to start the fight. The saibman propelled forward its claws already open eager for a kill. The young saiyan could only watch in horror as his opponent descends upon him.

“Gohan!” Yamcha yelled hoping his call would spur the boy into action.

Hearing his name Gohan snapped out of his trance and moved left to avoid the strike. It wasn’t enough. The claw of the saibaman sliced through Gohan’s right shoulder cutting the boy’s flesh open enough for a small stream of blood to come trickling out of it.

“Aaaaah!” Gohan screamed, clutching his shoulder in an attempt to stop the blood. The cut wasn’t deep but pain invaded Gohan’s mind and terror slowly began to grab hold. Krillin’s jaw tightened and his fists throbbed as he watched Gohan cry out.

“If he dies it’s on your head human,” Piccolo said sharply.

“He won’t.”

Gohan slowly removed his hand from his shoulder to find it coated in his own blood. The boy’s face was twisted with fear and anxiety the battle suddenly becoming very real.

“He’ll win,” Krillin said to himself once more.

At that moment, his shoulder covered in blood, his opponent laughing at his weakness, and his life on the line. Gohan breathed. With his eyes closed, he inhaled softly through the nose and exhaled with force out the mouth, as he had been trained to do. With his nerves calmed Gohan looked again at the saibaman and slid back into his stance. The creature sneered and attacked again with outstretched claws. The young saiyan with eyes open saw the attack coming and dodged gracefully. The saibman struck again and again Gohan dodged. The green monster attacked over and over while Gohan weaved through the blows with not much effort at all.

_You noticed didn’t you Gohan? These creatures, they aren’t as fast as you. You’re fighting someone weaker than you so there’s no reason to be afraid._

Finding an opening Gohan threw a quick shot into the saibaman’s stomach stopping his opponent’s momentum and air. The creature fell to one knee giving the young saiyan enough space and time to drive his fist into the saibaman’s face. The blow blasted the creature onto its back stunned and severely weakened. Gohan charged eager to end the fight quickly. Before he could the saibaman found its feet and dashed to the side fast enough that it disappeared from Gohan’s view. Gohan stopped and threw his head side to side in a panic looking for his opponent. Then once again he stopped and breathed. During the inhale, the saibaman appeared behind Gohan ready to strike. For the exhale, Gohan spun around and cracked the saibaman’s head open with a swift kick to the temple. The creature landed with a hard thud and lay on the ground unmoving. Gohan’s face brightened and he turned to his companions with a great smile.

“Mr. Piccolo, Mr. Krillin, I did it!”

With Gohan facing his friends he missed the saibaman slowly get up and throw itself toward the young saiyan. Arms spread wide the alien creature prepared to grapple the boy and self-destruct just as its companion had done earlier. It never got the chance. A hand gripped the saibman’s face and threw it down with enough force to break both the Earth and the saibman’s back. The creature screamed in pain but the hand held. The saibaman thrashed and clawed at the arm in an attempt to break free. But the hand held. Looking through the cracks of the fingers allowed the saibaman to lock eyes with his captor, the human known as Krillin. The look they shared was also the last one of its life as Krillin gathered ki and detonated it into the saibaman’s head point blank. The saibaman’s skull melted as the rush of ki flowed through it and the ground beneath it. Its acid blood slid harmlessly off of Krillin thanks to his barrier.

“Gohan, you okay?” The monk said standing tall.

“Uh…yeah, sorry.”

“Just…be more careful.”

Gohan nodded and Krillin shifted his attention to Vegeta whose grin had transformed into a smile.

“Human. You broke the rules of our game.”

Krillin clenched his fist but said nothing.

“There needs to be consequences for that.”

Nappa joined Vegeta’s smile and let out a low chuckle. “Maybe now you feel like telling us where those dragonballs are.”

“Not really.”

Nappa's face twisted again and he took a step forward once more.

“Now Nappa where’s the fun in that? I say we continue our game but since Mr. Krillin is so eager to fight we’ll change the rules a bit.”

Krillin’s blood ran cold when Vegeta said his name.

 “What did you have in mind?” Krillin said nervously.

“You will fight the remaining saibmen, alone.”

“No way!” Yamcha yelled from the sideline. “That’s completely unfair!”

“That’s the point. You, humans, broke a rule and now you must pay for that.”

“But…” Yamcha stammered.

“He’s right, we broke the rules,” Piccolo said slowly shooting a glare at Yamcha. “And whining about it isn’t going to help.” He then shared the glare with Krillin. “This is what he deserves for being an idiot.”

_Ouch. Not that he’s wrong though._

“Don’t worry Yamcha. I’ll be okay.” Krillin said offering a soft smile to his friend.

_Right?_

“Enough talk! Time to bleed little man!” Nappa roared which spurred the saibman into action. Tearing across the field the creatures were eager for a kill having been denied three times already. Krillin slid into a stance and readied himself.

_Can’t let them surround me or grab me. Don’t lose track of them and keep moving._

The first saibman swiped at Krillin with enough force to knock his head off, if it had hit. The next lunged at him arms open, he vaulted over this one. The third came at him from the side, where he parried the blow and slipped away.

_Maybe I can do this until Goku shows up. Unless the big one gets mad and tries to kill me anyway._

Returning to his stance Krillin waited for the next wave of attacks from the saibamen. However, instead, the saibamen lined up cackling the entire time.

_What are they-_

Before Krillin could finish the thought the saibamen began throwing balls of ki at the monk. Krillin dodged two and deflected three but with six arms each throwing a barrage of ki blasts he was forced to take to the skies. The blasts followed Krillin as he continued to dodge and block.

_Dammit, don’t think I can stretch this out. If I’m not careful they’ll take me down before I can do anything. Guess I’ll have to hit them hard and get it over with._

Krillin deflected another ki attack before he saw an opening in the barrage. Increasing his speed he shot past the blasts and landed right behind one of the saibamen. The creatures hadn’t been able to follow the monk’s movements so none of them saw the backhand Krillin threw. It rocked one of the green creatures and launched it into a nearby mountain. The impact on the cliff side killed it letting its acid blood slowly drip down the crater onto the rocks below. The two remaining saibamen turned to face the human claws out eager for revenge.

“Too slow.”

The voice came from behind the saibamen so they turned again only to be stopped by Krillin’s raised hand already gathering energy. Knowing what was coming both saibamen fled hoping they could outrun the attack. They couldn’t. Throwing the energy Krillin watched the blast overtake the creatures sheering off their flesh, burning away their bones, and silencing their screams. With the fight over Krillin shifted his focus, to the saiyan invaders.


	15. Victory and Loss

“That was quite the performance human,” Vegeta said. “Though I hope that isn’t the end of your strength, the real fight is about to begin.”

Krillin remained silent but his stare at the saiyans remained.

 “You got nothing to say human? Gone quiet with fear?” Nappa laughed.

Krillin heard the comment and gifted the saiyan with a small smirk.

“You know someone once that me that the truly strong don’t need to fight with his mouth.” The smirk turned into a grin. “I guess you wouldn’t know that since you can’t seem to shut up.”

Nappa face twisted and his fists closed slowly.

“Vegeta, I’m going to kill all six of them now.”

“We still need them to tell us where the dragon balls are,” Vegeta said turning around and finding a small rock to sit on. “Leave one alive, Nappa.”

“Fine.” The big saiyan spat. “But, they are going to wish I hadn’t.”

The bald saiyan approached the warriors smiling at the thought of the carnage to come. Digging his heels into the ground his smile only grew as he took a stance and began to flex his power. Krillin could feel the Earth shake beneath him.

_This is, unbelievable._

Nappa’s strength was beyond even his worst nightmares. Both Raditz or the saiyans on the lookout were nothing compared to Nappa’s power. For a moment Krillin hesitated and considered running. For a moment the idea of asking Bulma for a spaceship seemed like the best plan. For a moment he went back to being the man who lived on an island with his master and a turtle for five years. Then the moment passed. Without a word to the others, Krillin left hand unfurled his fist and extended three fingers. This was not only a signal to attack but also to attack a specific limb. With his ring finger still pointing towards his palm, the others knew what their leader wanted.

_Take out his right leg._

Yamcha and Tien flew past Krillin at breakneck speed rushing the saiyan and securing the first move.

“Are the insects so eager to die?” Nappa said before running toward the charging humans.

Nappa hunted down Tien and Yamcha thrilled he would, at last, be able to satiate his hunger for battle. What he didn’t know was that the humans knew he would react this way and they figured that the saiyans would be stronger than they could possibly imagine. So the best option was obvious. Avoid direct conflict at all costs. This is why Nappa’s strike missed completely as both Tien and Yamcha feinted to the left and right. Without hesitation, the two then fired off several ki blasts that descended onto the bulky saiyan. The energy collided and erupted with power throwing bits off Earth and dust into the air. However, Nappa stood tall completely unaffected.

“Is that all?” The saiyan smirked.

“Not quite.”

The voice came from a blind spot that Nappa wasn’t aware of. He was punished with a hard impact to the side of his face. The saiyan’s head whipped to the left but he stood grounded. Turning toward his attacker Nappa locked eyes with Krillin. Krillin only grinned in response. Before he could act Nappa noticed the surrounding area grow dim as if night had arrived early. Looking toward the sun Nappa saw that there was a mountain floating in the sky. Next to it was Chiaotzu who was using his telekinesis to lift the mighty slab of rock. When he stopped using his powers the mountain fell, onto Nappa. The stone crunched into the saiyan splitting the ground he stood on and burying him completely. For a moment all was still. Then the moment passed. In an explosion of pure power, Nappa effortlessly threw off the hunk of rock and whipped away all of the surrounding dust. Standing in the center of a small crater the saiyan rubbed his neck in disinterest.

“My turn.”

Using his left leg the saiyan shot himself at the monk his fist already swinging.

_Fast!_ Krillin thought before throwing up his guard and a barrier at 100% strength. Nappa’s follow-through launched Krillin through the air sailing into a nearby rock crashing into stone a creating a deep crater.

“Krillin!” Chiaotzu yelled.

“I’m fine!” Krillin called back. “Don’t lose him!”

Yamcha turned back to see Nappa descend upon Tien. The saiyan’s eyes wild with bloodlust sent a punch coated with energy at the three-eyed man. Tien put up his arm to block the blow but at the last second feinted again by jumping to the left.

“Not this time,” Nappa smirked and grabbed Tien by the leg.

The saiyan whipped the human around and threw him across the battlefield. Tien bounced once before being caught by Yamcha. Nappa laughed before he threw a blast of deadly energy at the two. With no time to dodge the beam, Yamcha and Tien extended their barriers to encase the both of them. The energy collided for a second before the collision caused an explosion that threw Tien and Yamcha further back. Nappa grinned until he felt the back of right knee hit by a ki blast. This staggered the saiyan and it took him a second to find his footing when he did he whirled around to see Gohan standing firm.

“I guess the boy dies first,” Nappa said loudly enough for all to hear him.

Nappa covered the distance to Gohan in an instant grinning widely. He would have torn the young half saiyan apart if he didn’t feel a tug on his leg that suddenly became a pull. Piccolo had extended his arm and grabbed Nappa, twisted around while whipping him up into the air before throwing him onto the ground with a crash.

“Now!” Krillin cried before gathering his ki into both hands and bombarding the large alien with all of his energy.

“Masenko!”

“Tri-Beam!”

“Kamehameha!”

“Super Dodon ray!”

The warriors of Earth fired off their signature ki attacks, all of them converging on the fallen saiyan. Every blast hit Nappa resulting in an explosion of dense deadly energy covering the area in dust, rock, and pure ki. For a moment the only thing Krillin and the others could see was a tower of smoke where Nappa once stood.

“Did we get him?” Chiaotzu asked meekly.

Out came a bellowing laugh to answer the question.

“That was pretty good!” Nappa cackled as the smoke began to clear. The saiyan had survived the onslaught and looked unaffected.

“Didn’t think you Earthlings had it in-”

Before Nappa could finish a spiral beam that twisted together drilled into the saiyan’s right knee. The blast ripped through skin and bone and formed a small hole, one that was instantly filled with blood.

“Agh!” Nappa cried falling onto his other knee his hands already grasping his injury.

“Special beam cannon,” Piccolo said still holding out two smoking fingers from where he had fired. Nappa tried putting some weight on the bloody knee and flinched out of pain. Without another word he slowly turned toward Piccolo his calm demeanor now gone.

“That was a mistake.”

Raising a hand to the Namekian Nappa fired a towering blast of energy that moved faster than any before it. Piccolo put his guard up but as the beam got closer the Namekian realized. He would not survive this.

“Mr. Piccolo!”

Gohan’s scream was the last thing Piccolo heard before he was pushed away from the attack and knocked to the ground away from the beam. Piccolo looked up to see Yamcha with a small grin on his face before the blast overtook him. The resulting explosion shook the battlefield itself while Earth’s defenders could only stare in disbelief.

“Huh, killed the wrong one.”

Krillin could feel his throat squeeze in dread and sorrow slosh in his stomach but he pushed them down and out.

 “Keep focus! Don’t get distracted!” Krillin shouted to the others. Despite the anger and overwhelming grief, Krillin held two fingers toward the ground. This was his signal to disable one of Nappa’s arms. Tien bit back an argument and charged with Piccolo giving one look at the smoke that enveloped Yamcha before following. Krillin dashed where Yamcha fell his body splayed out in a small crater, unmoving.

“Yamcha!”

The bandit twitched but didn’t scream. He didn’t have the strength. “….Ow.”

Krillin was by his side in an instant. “You’re okay, Gohan’s got the senzu I can get him-”

“No. Krillin… don’t.”

“What? Why? We need you in this fight!”

“Save…save it for someone who can’t come back.”

“I said everyone was going home! That includes you! ”

“I…I don’t think that’s a promise you…can keep. Focus…on the one you can.”

Krillin teeth clenched and his hand became a fist.

“Stop talking like that! You didn’t train all this time just to die here!” Krillin shouted placing both hands on his friend’s chest and pumping energy in the hopes of saving a life.

“…I’m sorry.”

Krillin ignored the apology and kept going.

“If I had taken the training seriously…at the start…maybe I’d be strong…like you.”

“Stop talking!”

“Don’t…don’t let Piccolo die or I’ll really be…in trouble” He coughed until blood dripped out of his mouth. “Didn’t think dying would…hurt this much. Was…was it like this…for you?”

“…Happened in an instant for me, didn’t feel anything.” Krillin said realizing the energy he was pouring into the former bandit wasn’t helping.

“…Lucky.”

Krillin said nothing. He just watched his friend’s eyes fade.

“You asked me why…why I named my attack after a w..wolf…I guess wolves are….they're free…I just…I just wanted to be……..”

Taking his hand he wiped the blood off of his mouth and then closed his friend’s eyes.

_Free._

Standing up the monk turned and began to walk. Krillin looked at Chiaotzu and when the small martial artist returned the gaze he nodded once. The nod told Chiaotzu what he had to do. Backing away from the fight Chiaotzu began to search for Nappa’s heart. While he searched Krillin rejoined the fight. Nappa was easily dodging Piccolo and Tien’s strikes flowing through the openings with ease.

“Weak,” Nappa said before he threw a punch of his own.

The blow caught Piccolo in the side breaking a rib despite his barrier.

“So weak!” Nappa shouted following up with a swift punch to Piccolo’s head launching him toward the ground.

“I thought this was going to be fun! Can’t you Earthlings do any better?”

The big saiyan then turned his attention to Tien. “What about you?”

Tien said nothing and deepened his stance a bead of sweat falling off his chin.

“I didn’t think so.”

Nappa charged with the intention of plowing through Tien and he might have if Krillin hadn’t cut him off throwing a ki blast into his wounded knee.

“Gah!” Nappa screamed before stumbling which left him wide open for Tien to drive a fist into his stomach.

“Ooof!”

“Gohan!” Tien shouted and he leaped back to gain some distance.

“Masenko!” Gohan yelled as he gathered energy into his overlapped palms.

“HA!”

When the half-saiyan fired the beam cleaved through the air and hit its target dead on. The explosion kicked up another dust storm that Nappa shot out of to attack Gohan.

“You damn insect!”

Gohan wasn’t fast enough to dodge the large saiyan, but he didn’t have to.

“Die!” Piccolo roared firing a blast of pure ki from his mouth.

Nappa turned to see another wave of energy came at him with enough force to crush a mountain. The saiyan threw a ki blast that crashed into the wave completely negating the burst of energy. Before he could make another move Tien and Krillin appeared in front of him to follow up their attack. Beginning their rush with a serious of coordinated punches and kicks the two martial artists working in perfect sync. Nappa grimaced again his knee bleeding even more as he began to lose ground.

“Bastards…who do you think I am!” With a scream, Nappa flexed his power and blew back both Krillin and Tien. The two found their feet quickly and relaxed back into their stances.

“He’s still so strong even after we put a hole in him. I hope you’ve got another plan.” Tien whispered.

“I’ve got Chiaotzu trying to stop his heart. Between that and his knee, we’ll be able to slow him down even more. Once we do that we can go for the tail.” Krillin responded not taking his eyes off of Nappa. “At this point, we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

“Is Yamcha alright?” Tien asked hesitantly.

“…He’s gone.”

“Damn,” Tien said his face twisting in grief.

“We knew the risks. As long as we win he’ll be back.”

Krillin shot a look a Chiaotzu who was still floating in the air back from the fight. The small warrior sadly shook his head side to side.

“Chiaotzu can’t get a lock. We’ll have to go straight for the tail. Keep moving and remember all we're doing is buying time until Goku arrives. First, we slow him down, then we hurt him, then we go for the kill.”

“Right.”

The two friends rushed Nappa to continue their assault. The saiyan stood ready for them.

“Come on!!” Nappa shouted rushing at the challenge.

Krillin and Tien closed in on the saiyan only to feint and separate left and right. Nappa saw this and chose to chase down Krillin using his superior speed to catch up to the monk easily.

“You’re not getting away from m-”

“Solar flare!” Krillin bellowed holding his hands along his face and letting light rip into Nappa’s eyes.

“UGH!”

The shock left the saiyan blind for five seconds. This was more than enough time for Piccolo to fire another special beam cannon that drilled a hole into his left knee.

“DAMMIT!” Nappa screamed as fell to his bloodied knees as it pooled across the green grass. He slowly rose into the air to take the pressure off of his wounds.

“How dare you, how dare-”

“Nappa.”

The voice that carried his own name sent a shiver up the large saiyan’s spine. He slowly turned to look at his superior.

“You seem to be having some trouble.”

N-no Vegeta, I’ve got this. I’ll kill them all right now.”

“You oaf, look at yourself, you’re just running around and leaving yourself wide open. Think Nappa. They’re using tactics meant to slow you down and make you angry.”

“R-right.”

“You’ll never get it on your own so I guess I’ll have to help you. That one.” Vegeta said pointing to Krillin. “That’s their leader.”

Krillin eyes went wide and his breathing stopped completely.

_How…how did it he know?_

“You Earthlings are strange, giving the biggest role to your smallest warrior.” Vegeta laughed. “Nappa, kill him and the others will fall.”

“H-heh, you say that like it’ll be easy,” Krillin said his confidence wavering.

“Trust me,” Nappa said turning his attention on the small monk. “It will be.”

The large saiyan gathered an enormous amount of energy into his right hand and fired a blast right at Krillin. The monk leaped into the air his barrier coating him with all of his ki. When the blast hit the ground he had been standing on it discharged and poured its destructive power across the valley. Krillin was immediately consumed by the attack and feel his flesh burn as the energy dug into him. The impact threw him like a doll across the battlefield. Bouncing once and then sliding lifelessly he could feel his conscious already fading. He coughed and his body rejected the action with pain. His head was swimming, his clothes were torn, and his shoulder had snapped out of place. Slowly finding his footing Krillin took a moment to readjust his shoulder as it moved back in place with a sickening crunch.

_That…really hurt._

“Mr. Krillin look out!”

Gohan’s warning came just in time as Krillin was able to dodge a dangerous right hook from Nappa.

“You’re not getting away!” The saiyan roared as he threw a punch that caught Krillin in the ribs. The impact was lessened by his barrier but Krillin got a taste of his own blood.

“How’s it feel human?” Nappa cackled. “To die like a dog?!”

Nappa got his answer as a shot of energy collided with his back. The blast nearly knocked him to the ground and he whipped around to look at his attacker.

“G-get away from him!” Chiaotzu shouted as loudly as he could.

Nappa glared but his target remained the same as he delivered a strike that tore into Krillin’s solar plexus. Krillin’s mind and body began to ache as Nappa’s attacks began to take effect. Even so, the monk opened his eyes and did the one thing he had taught Gohan half a year ago.

_Watch him._

Krillin saw the saiyan rear his arm back, he saw him close his fingers to make a fist, and he saw him swing with enough force to shatter his barrier and kill him. He saw all this and that gave him enough time to avoid the punch and kick Nappa’s blood red knee with all his strength.

The saiyan winced which gave Krillin a second to jump back and catch his breath.

_I’m okay, I’m okay. Think, if his focus is on me then the others can move freely. That’s how we’ll attack._

Krillin locked eyes with Chiaotzu and held out only his left thumb.

_The tail._

Chiaotzu nodded and Krillin returned his attention to Nappa who charged after him like a man possessed.

_I won’t be able to take many more attacks. I’ve got to stay out of his reach._

Nappa’s rush contained only punches. With his knees reduced to gaping holes he couldn’t afford a kick. Despite that, the saiyan barreled down and refused to give Krillin any more time to counterattack. Weaving in and out of the small openings was all Krillin could do.

“Stay still and die human!” Nappa screamed and reached too far for a punch.

_There!_

Krillin thought as he slammed an elbow deep into Nappa’s stomach.

“Gah!” Nappa groaned as he hunched over.

“Now!”

Krillin’s shout had Chiaotzu dash at Nappa’s back and grip the saiyan’s tail with two hands.

“Got it!”

In that instant, all noise across the battlefield died. Chiaotzu’s grip remained firm and Krillin let his guard drop as relief hit him.

“You stupid humans.”

Krillin didn’t see the punch coming but he could feel it with his entire body. With his barrier down it was the first strike Nappa landed properly and it crushed the monk like nothing before it. The punch sent Krillin airborne sailing through the sky before crashing into solid rock. The blow carried him through the stone before emerging on the other side and smashing into the Earth. He lay there unable to move, unable to breathe. The pain came like a wave sloshing into him without mercy. Cutting his scream short he forced himself to move, his entire body shaking like a leaf as he stood up slowly.

_I’m an idiot…even after Kami warned us about relying on the saiyan’s tails._

The monk doubled over as he coughed his lungs unable to gather the air around him. As his body struggled to breathe Krillin fell to a knee as Nappa’s attack consumed him inside and out.

_How could I make such a stupid mistake?!_

Regaining his breath Krillin took to the sky hoping to get back to the battle. However, what he saw was a one-sided slaughter. Nappa had Chiaotzu in his grasp holding him by the neck. The small fighter was struggling to breathe and tears welling up in his eyes. Tien had collapsed onto the ground next to them holding his stomach. Krillin had no doubt he had tried to come to Chiaotzu’s defense only to be put down. Gohan and Piccolo looked on the scene unable to help in any way.

“Did you fools really think we elite saiyans wouldn’t train our tails? That trick might have worked on a low level like Raditz but you’re up against the best now.”  Nappa sneered as his grip on Chiaotzu’s neck tightened.

“Let him go you monster!” Tien roared his rage overriding his pain.

“Monster? All we’re doing is showing you, humans, your place in the food chain. We are a warrior race of the highest caliber. Did you think you humans were ever a match for us? You’re just the dirt under our boots. What’s wrong with standing on dirt?”

 Nappa’s eyes tracked some movement and his head turned to see Krillin dashing toward him. With one hand Nappa slapped Krillin’s attack away, threw him to the ground, and pinned him with a boot to the chest. The monk grunted and attempted to shove the boot off but the large saiyan just applied more pressure.

“Easier to catch you when you aren’t running around like rats.”

“Not… rats. We’re…not rats.”

Nappa looked at the martial artist he had by the throat.

“Got a big mouth for being such a little fellow, don’t you? Well, maybe you aren’t. The others are at least standing on the front lines but you seem to be fine just staying in the back taking cheap shots. So no you aren’t dirt or a rat you are something far worse.” Nappa’s grip tightened even more and Chiaotzu’s eyes began to bulge out of their sockets.

“You’re a coward little man.”The large saiyan relaxed his hand enough for Chiaotzu to get air in his lungs, “What do you say to that?”

Chiaotzu coughed blood and his eyes were blurred due to the lack of air. His mind was far gone and his body grew limp from the pain. However, he looked at Nappa in the eyes and smiled.

“I’m not a coward.”

Chiaotzu’s body began to glow his ki gathering into his very center. Every reserve of energy he had pooled into the forefront of his being.

“I’m scared, but I’m not a coward.”

Nappa’s sensed the danger and let go of Chiaotzu’s neck. He leaped away into the sky hoping to avoid whatever attack was coming. With his boot removed from Krillin’s lungs, the monk coughed to reclaim the air he lost. Chiaotzu dashed after the saiyan his glow becoming brighter with each second. Nappa retaliated with a swift punch hoping to knock Chiaotzu away. The fist connected but Chiaotzu pushed on, inching closer.

“Chiaotzu!” Tien screamed hoping his voice would stop his friend. The smallest fighter ignored the shout and pushed on.

“You insect! Get away from me!” Nappa roared and threw another punch. Chiaotzu took it head on his face a mess of blood and bruises, but despite this, he pushed on.

“I’m not an insect,” Chiaotzu said slowly his glow growing stronger. “I’m not dirt,” Chiaotzu said pushing on. “And I’m not a coward,” Chiaotzu said as he grabbed Nappa’s head his glow blinding the saiyan.

“I’m a hero!”

With those words, Chiaotzu’s released his built up ki all at once. The blast engulfed both fighters in a ball of energy that lit up the sky. The display of power shook the ground itself, the wind it produced scattered the clouds and robbed the onlookers of their voice. Then, it vanished, as if it were never there. The only remnants were a dense cloud of smoke and the sickening feeling of loss.

“C-CHIAOTZU!” Tien cried out as if his screams would bring back his friend.

_No. I…This. This wasn’t supposed to happen._

Krillin watched Tien fall to his knees, he watched Piccolo’s fists tightened, and he watched Gohan begin to cry.

_No one was supposed to die._

 “Ugh. That really hurt.”

Krillin’s eyes went back to the sky where the dust had cleared. There floating in the air was Nappa. His blood flowed freely skating off of his knees and cuts on his head. The explosion had done some damage, but he was still alive.

“I’ll kill you.”

Krillin turned back to Tien whose words came out hard and heavy.

“I’ll kill you!”

Tien’s aura flared, his rage dictating every action.

“I’LL KILL YOU!”

He shot into the air driving at Nappa with no regard for himself, only desire to kill the saiyan invader.

“Tien! Stop!” Krillin yelled, but the cry fell on deaf ears. However, it did bring Nappa’s attention back to the fight.

“Oh? Are you so eager to join your friend?” The saiyan said with a smile.

Tien’s speed doubled and he closed in on Nappa with a wild kick that was dodged easily. Digging in for more power Tien cut loose throwing punches and kicks all aimed at vital areas. None of them found their mark.

“Idiot!” said Piccolo before flying towards the battle in the air. Krillin joined him hoping he wouldn’t have to watch another friend die. However, this is exactly what Nappa wanted.

“Good, now this is a fight I can enjoy!”

The saiyan dodged another punch by Tien before throwing one of his own. Tien put up an arm up to guard the blow but the strength behind the fist was enough to tear Tien’s right hand off completely.

“AAGGHA!”

Tien gripped what remained of his wrist and screamed.

“You’re too noisy,” Nappa said before smashing the warrior over the head throwing him to the ground.

“Tien!” Krillin shouted watching his friend fall.

“And you aren’t paying attention.”

Krillin turned to see Nappa descend on him, ready to strike. With no energy to make a barrier, the monk put his arms up in an attempt to defend. The punch connected and flung Krillin back to the Earth crashing into the ground with a hard crash.

“You’re mine human!” Nappa roared following up his assault.

He was so focused on ending Krillin’s life he didn’t see Piccolo rush him from the side caving in the side of his face with a quick strike to the head. The force of the blow hurled Nappa across the battlefield and into the dirt.

“Get up,” Piccolo said his eyes focused on where Nappa landed. “Do you have enough energy to finish this?”

“No,” Krillin said while standing up. “I barely have enough for another barrier. Besides even if we kill him the other saiyan is strong enough to slaughter us without even trying.”

“We’re already getting slaughtered!”

“We have to wait for Goku; we can’t win this thing without him!”

“Dammit, fine. I’ll hold him off; get your friend back on his feet we can’t afford to lose another fighter.”

Without another word, Piccolo grunted as his body shifted and changed before splitting into two.

“Gohan!” Both Piccolos shouted. “Back me up!”

Gohan heard the command of his teacher but his eyes were still wet from crying and his entire body was shaking from the fear of the fight.

“Useless child!” Piccolo said before the pair flew at Nappa who laughed at the challenge.

“Yes! Come at me!”

Krillin ran over to where his friend had fallen and shook him. “Tien! Wake up!”

Tien stirred but his eyes remained closed.

“Tien!” Krillin shouted and shook him harder.

“I was supposed to protect him.”

Krillin stopped as he heard his friend’s voice tumble out.

“All I wanted….was to protect him.” Tien started to shake, “I’ll kill him. I swear I’ll kill him.”

He pushed Krillin to the side and stood tall. “Chiaotzu, I won’t let your sacrifice be in vain, I promise.” Tien’s remaining fist clenched and he started to pant through gritted teeth. “I’ll be with you again soon Chiaotzu.”

Krillin watched Tien struggle to pour every ounce of ki he had into his hand, his fist unfurling to allow to the energy to crackle and snap.

**Krillin, I need you to do something for me.**

The monk’s eyes went wide as the voice of Launch danced in his mind.

**It’s a little embarrassing.**

Lunging forward Krillin grabbed Tien by the shoulder.

**Please, make sure Tien stays safe?**

Krillin’s hand on his shoulder distracted Tien enough to turn just in time for Krillin’s slap to connect with his right cheek. The slap broke Tien’s concentration and the energy in his hand faded. Enraged Tien grabbed Krillin by his collar and yanked him off his feet.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Tien spat.

“I’m stopping you from killing yourself.”

“At least I would take the saiyan with me.”

“That’s not the plan.”

“Screw your plan! Yamcha and Chiaotzu are dead!”

“Killing yourself isn’t going to bring them back.”

“No, but then at least Chiaotzu wouldn’t be alone.”

Krillin gritted his teeth before throwing Tien’s grip off and giving his friend a swift head butt knocking Tien to the ground.

 “Do you think he would want that?”

Tien said nothing.

“Do you think Chiaotzu would want you to kill yourself just so he wouldn’t be lonely? Do you think he would be the only one to miss you?”

Again Tien said nothing.

“Chiaotzu isn’t the only person you should be fighting for. Now get up and help us win. You can do that with one hand can’t you?”

Tien slowly stood up and looked at Krillin.

“What’s the plan?”

“We go for the tail again.”

“Why? That didn’t work before.”

“We’re not going to just grab it this time. Cover me.”

“…. Okay.”

 Krillin nodded and then blasted off toward the battle where the two Piccolos were helpless as Nappa continued pushing forward.

“What’s wrong namekian? There’s two of you and only one of me.”

Piccolo grunted as the saiyan bore down on him.

“Fight like it’s your last!” Nappa screamed before letting loose a punch that dug into Piccolo’s chest launched him back. The second Piccolo caught the first but that gave Nappa enough time to descend upon the pair.

“Gotcha!”

A ki blast connecting with Nappa’s unguarded back stopped the attack. The saiyan whipped around to see Tien charging at him with Krillin at his side. Nappa grinned before grabbing the two Piccolos by the head and tossing them toward the humans. Tien and Krillin dodged, continued their charge, and shot off more ki blasts to distract the titan. Nappa locked eyes with Krillin and barreled through to the monk eager to continue the fight.

“Time to die little man!”

Nappa was so focused on Krillin he didn’t see Tien lift his remaining hand to his face and scream the words. “Solar flare!”

Light poured out blinding Nappa and allowing Krillin to flip over the saiyan and take his back. For the few seconds, the saiyan couldn’t see Krillin had already gripped Nappa’s tail with one hand and encased the other with ki.

_Hope this hurts._

Krillin brought his hand down and effortlessly severed the tail.

“AAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHHGG!”

As soon as he had Nappa’s voice exploded out of him screaming out in pain. For the few seconds, Nappa was screaming Krillin crawled onto his back tail in his hand and wrapped it around the saiyan’s neck. With every ounce of strength remaining, Krillin pulled bringing the tail taught against Nappa’s windpipe.

“UGH”

The saiyan clawed at the tail choking him and tried to pull it off.

“My tail! I’ll rip out your insides for this!” Nappa coughed.

Krillin tightened his grip and locked eyes with Tien before nodding once. Tien understood, curled his hand into a fist, and smashed it into Nappa’s rips.

“HAGUA” Nappa moaned as the air in his body slipped out.

He lunged for Tien but Krillin reeled him back and tightened the tail around him, even more, cutting off his air supply.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Nappa cried breathing hard.

Tien wound up for another punch but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see Piccolo battered, bruised, and angry.

“My turn.”

The Namekian reared back and shot out a punch that dug into Nappa’s stomach. The saiyan heaved but his eyes were still alive with rage. His hands crackled with energy as he tried to shoot at his attackers but his own tail held firm against his neck stopping the attempt. With it cutting off his air supply the saiyan’s focus started to waver. Piccolo readied himself for another but stopped when he felt Tien’s hand on his shoulder.

“Together.”

Piccolo said nothing but nodded and the two warriors leaned back and then threw a punch with all of their power behind it. The blow connected expelling the last bit of air and blood from the saiyan. Feeling the body go limb Krillin let go of the tail and allowed Nappa to fall over onto his face. For a long hard moment, no one moved at all.

“Is he dead?” Gohan asked coming closer now that the fighting had stopped.

“He’s just unconscious,” Krillin answered.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Tien said, extending an arm and gathering ki.

“Hold on Tien,” Krillin said, lowering his friend’s arm. “I have an idea.”

“What? Do you want to spare him?”

“I want to bargain.”

Having said that Krillin approached Vegeta who hadn’t moved since the fight with Nappa began.

“Do you expect mercy in exchange for Nappa’s life human?”

“If that will help then yes.”

“It doesn’t. Nappa lost to a bunch of weaklings on a backward planet. If he has any sense of pride he’ll kill himself when he wakes. You have nothing save for the dragonballs and you have lost the chance to trade them for your lives.”

“The dragonballs will stay with us. If you won’t give us anything for Nappa then instead I want to trade time for an opportunity.”

Vegeta said nothing but Krillin knew he had his attention, for now.

“Wait for Goku to arrive and then we’ll continue our battle. Until then the fighting stops.”

“Goku? Ah, you must mean Kakarot.” Said Vegeta, “You demand much for nothing, why would I wait for Kakarot when I can just kill the lot of you now?”

“Because it wouldn’t be a fight.”

“You’re right, it would be a slaughter,” Vegeta said with a grin.

“Is that what you came here for? Nappa got to fight but all you’ve done is stand there. Don’t you want to see how much stronger Goku has gotten?”

“The weakling died killing Raditz, he would hardly be a challenge for me.”

“He’ll be stronger, and with all of us together we’ll beat you.”

“You believe him to be a match for me? Let me tell you something, you might have taken down Nappa using cheap tricks but those won’t work on me.”

“We won’t have too once Goku gets here.”

“Then tell me human. Where is he? You believe he’s coming even after he’s clearly left you to die?”

“My daddy is coming!” Gohan screamed, “He’s coming and he’ll be so strong you won’t be able to touch him!”

“Hmm, your courage seems to lie in your blind faith in Kakarot. Very well I shall wait for the coward for no more than three hours.”

“Then we have your word?” Krillin said slowly.

“You do. For three hours.”

“Good,” Krillin said

Slowly the monk stretched out his hand aimed right at Nappa’s head. He fired a shot of ki that dug into the saiyan’s skull, caving a small hole that sliced through the alien’s brain and exploded out of the other side of his head, killing him instantly.

“Three hours,” Krillin said his gaze locked onto the lone saiyan.

As Nappa’s blood flowed onto the green grass of Earth, Vegeta smiled.

 


	16. Confronting Death

 

_I should have asked for more time._

It had only been ten minutes since the cease-fire had taken place and Krillin sat with Tien, Piccolo, and Gohan making sure the four of them put some distance between them and Vegeta. Since then the fighters have all remained silent each lost in their own heads.

_No, three hours is the best I could have hoped for. No doubt if I had asked for more he would have seen that as a sign of weakness._

Looking over his three remaining partners, Krillin could see that this battle has already taken a lot out of them. Piccolo and Tien were silent but seeing Gohan hugging his knees in terror twisted at the monk’s heart.

_Maybe I should talk to him._

Walking over to the five-year-old Krillin reached out with his hand to lay it on Gohan’s shoulder. Gohan saw the hand and flinched. His hold on his knees becoming even tighter, Krillin recoiled and pulled his hand away in horror. Neither said anything both unable to make a move.

“Gohan,” Piccolo said slowly.

The half-saiyan gave no response but looked at his mentor.

“Go get some food.”

“…..I’m not hungry.”

“I am, so go.”

Wordlessly Gohan stood up offered Krillin a quick glance and flew away in search of a meal. Krillin watched Gohan fly off and then slowly looked at his own hand, which trembled slightly.

“Was that your first kill?”

Krillin looked back at Piccolo who eyed the monk as if he was studying.

“If you don’t count animals, illusions, or those saibamen then yeah, I guess it was.”

“Don’t let the saiyan see you shake you’re supposed to be our leader.”

Krillin almost laughed. “We’ve lost a city and two friends. Gohan’s scared of me and we’re up against a saiyan even stronger than the one we barely killed. We’re lucky I’m not screaming.”

“As long as I stand the dragonballs can fix that, in reality, we’ve only suffered a single casualty.”

 “Only?”

The two turned to see Tien standing his glare fixated on the namekian. “That casualty was my friend, don’t you dare talk about him like he didn’t matter.”

“He was the cornerstone of the plan. His ability to stop hearts could have ended this fight. Instead, he blew himself up and accomplished nothing.” Piccolo said his eyes narrowing.

“He saved us!”

“He died pointlessly.”

Tien took a dangerous step forward with every intention of punching Piccolo with his remaining arm. Krillin sensing this stepped in between the two taller fighters and placed a single hand on Tien’s chest, stopping him.

“Not here,” Krillin said looking over at Vegeta who sat, watching.

Tien’s face twisted in anger slowly gave way to grief. “I’m…going to take a walk.”

“…Okay, come back soon.”

Tien nodded and then walked away.

“Chiaotzu wasn’t able to stop Nappa’s heart,” Krillin said once Tien was out of sight. “I doubt it would have worked against Vegeta.”

“Tch, he still didn’t have to kill himself.” Piccolo spat.

“How’s your energy?” Krillin asked. “You used a lot taking out Nappa’s knees.”

“With this three-hour rest, I’ll have recovered enough for one more beam. If I can get a clean hit on the saiyan’s head that should be enough to kill him. But if I miss then it’ll be up to you. Are you ready for that?”

Krillin nodded. “I didn’t use it during the fight with Nappa so he won’t be expecting something like it. If we can catch him with his guard down I’ll cut him in two.”

“Still haven’t come up with a name?”

“That’s up to Gohan, if we survive, and if he still wants to talk to me.”

“He’s scared but there was no avoiding that.”

Krillin frowned, “He shouldn’t even be here; you saw how he froze up. Even with his training he isn’t like his father, he doesn’t enjoy fighting.”

“It doesn’t matter; this is the reality he’s in.”

“I know, but if there’s an opportunity for him to escape he should take it.”

“We still need him for this fight,” Piccolo growled his voice still low.

“A fight we might not even win, we have to be looking at the long term as well. With Nappa gone that’s just leaves Vegeta scouring the planet for the dragonballs. He’s got no way of tracking them, how many he even needs to find or how to even use them. It could take years for him to figure all of that out. Assuming that Goku loses Gohan could go underground and train until he’s ready to fight back, if that happens we can still win this war even if we’re not around to see it, but if he dies here that can’t happen.”

“You would use the lives of humans to buy Gohan time?”

“If it comes to that, yes.”

“Heh, you might be more demon than human.”

“At this point, you may be right. However, if we can’t look at the bigger picture then all of this was pointless.”

Piccolo paused for a long time his brow furrowed in deep thought.

“You’re right he should leave, but only if it comes to that.”

Krillin sighed in slight relief.

“You’ve been thinking hard about this,” Piccolo said

“Hard to think about anything else.”

 “I suppose, now if the brat’s worthless father actually shows up we might win.”

 “He’ll be here, that won’t change.”

Piccolo allowed a quick smirk but it faded when his attention caught some movement in the mountains. “We have company.”

Krillin turned to see a small camera crew of three sitting in truck filming everything they could from a ledge overlooking the battle. Once again Barry Walters had returned and was commentating on the action easily giving away their location.

“Idiots!” Krillin spat.

“Do you plan on saving them again despite their best efforts? They seem intent on getting themselves killed.”

“Of course they are, they’re human.”

Without another word, Krillin flew up into the sky toward the camera crew. Within moments he was hovering overhead and had the three men’s full attention. “I thought I told you to leave.”

Barry and the two other men were speechless as they took in the sight of the flying bald man. Professional that he is Barry recovered first and resumed his commentary.

“Excuse me, sir! Could you please tell the public what is happing here?! Why are you fighting the aliens who wiped out an entire city?! How are you fighting them?! How did you gain the ability to fly?! Are you and your companions all aliens as well?! Are you here to kill us all?! Why is one of you green?!”

_I really don’t have time for this._

“Leave.”

“But sir the public demands answers! They want to know what’s happening!”

“Leave.”

“Sir I must insist yo-”

“I couldn’t save East City,” Krillin said cutting off the frantic reporter. “Let me save you.”

Barry paused as he looked at Krillin his words cutting deep. For just a moment Barry Walters who had been watching this spectacle like it was a movie saw that this man floating before him, who had been doing the impossible throughout the battle, was just as human as he was.

“…Okay.” Barry said after a moment surprising his two crew members.

“Thank you,” Krillin said turning to leave. “Please tell the other reporters back at your camp to leave as well.”

 “Wait!” Barry shouted stopping the monk’s flight. “Thank you, for saving us earlier.”

Krillin nodded and flew away.

“Are we really going to leave Mr. Walters?” the cameraman said.

“Of course we are! We can’t publish this story if we’re dead!” Barry said with a wide grin. “After all we’ve got a real-life superhero fighting to save the world from aliens!”

“I mean, no offense sir, but do you think anyone is going to believe us?” The driver of the truck asked.

“That depends, is the camera still rolling?”

“Uh, yeah?” The cameraman said checking his equipment.

“Then we’re golden! Now let’s get out of here before they blow up another mountain!”

“R-right!” The truck driver said as he backed up and turned, driving away from the battlefield. “Wait a second, how did he know about our campsite?”

* * *

 

As he felt the camera crew and campsite pack up Krillin touched back down next to Piccolo.

“They’re leaving,” The Namekian said slowly. “What did you tell them?”

“Nothing that wasn’t true, we humans might be crazy but most of us will usually run away pretty quick if we think our life is in danger.”

“Yet here you are.”

“I guess I’m one of the few that would stay.”

Before Piccolo could respond Gohan returned with a dead boar and some firewood. He landed and dropped his bounty onto the ground.

“Nice work Gohan,” Krillin said.

The half-saiyan nodded but said nothing, slowly the three set up a fire and started cooking the mighty beast. Eventually, Tien returned and joined them sitting down around the fire watching it crack and snap.

“I’m sorry,” Krillin said looking at his one-armed friend. “Losing Chiaotzu was my mistake. I forgot that saiyans could train their tails, even after Kami reminded us. I should have-”

“He was brave.”

Krillin stopped as Tien’s words cut through his voice.

“He was scared of this fight, I even told him he should stay away and go to Kami’s but he didn’t. He wanted to fight. He wanted to be brave, and he was, even at the end.”

The only sound other then the small fire was Gohan’s soft sob.

“I’ am going to miss him so much,” Tien said his voice shaking and his eyes flickering with tears. For the next three hours, no one said anything else.

* * *

 

_He’s not here._

As much as he wanted to Krillin couldn’t stop this ugly thought from sliding to the forefront of his mind. Baring his teeth and closing his hands into fists Krillin stood up before offering one last look at the evening sun.

_And we’re out of time._

*Beep* *beep*

Vegeta’s scouter sounded off signaling the end of the cease-fire.

“Disappointing,” Vegeta said as he stood up, pocketing the scouter. “It seems Kakarot isn’t going to show, which means your champion has left you to die.”

Krillin could feel Vegeta’s power crackling through the very air he breathed. His suffocating presence had the four remaining warriors chocking on nothing. Krillin’s knees trembled and his mind began to quiver just from the saiyan’s presence. As strong as Nappa was, the dead saiyan was outclassed in every way by his shorter companion. Despite his best efforts to hide his fear, the monk felt his entire body cower in the face of Vegeta’s overwhelming power.

“So, shall we begin?”

Krillin, Piccolo, and Tien lunged at the remaining saiyan bringing every ounce of strength they had left forward. The warriors converged on Vegeta ready to end the fight, ready to save the world, ready to kill. The saiyan grinned before flexing his power just a little. Just this was enough to blow all three fighters back scattering their attack and shattering the coordinated assault.

“Eager aren’t you?” Vegeta said as if he was having the time of his life. “Before we continue I wanted to give you a sporting chance and inform you all just who you are fighting.”

Krillin could see Tien was ready for another try but waved him down.

“You’ve figured out that Nappa was weaker than me and yet he was a saiyan elite. He was the best of the best in our race able to conquer worlds and shatter entire systems. Yet he was still weaker than me. Do you know why?”

Though no one answered Krillin could feel the Earth shake under his feet as if the planet itself was afraid of the saiyan invader.

“It is because I am royalty! The greatest warrior in the universe! I am Vegeta! Prince of all-”

The saiyan’s speech was cut short as Gohan launched a blast of ki at Vegeta’s back. The prince turned and deflected the beam with a wave of his hand. At that moment Tien descended upon the proud saiyan.

“Tri-beam!” The one-handed warrior shouted before throwing all of his ki into a point-blank attack with his remaining hand. The attempt shattered the area and crashed into Vegeta leaving nothing intact and carving a deep hole in the Earth. However, the hole held no body at its bottom. Before Tien could react pain exploded from his ribs as Vegeta shot his elbow deep into his side, crushing his bones from the outside. Tien staggered back but recovered and threw himself at the saiyan again. Mildly annoyed Vegeta shot another hard punch at Tien’s head that rattled the human’s brain like a drum.

“Chi…Chiao…tzu.” Tien slurred as he fell to side sliding into unconsciousness.

 From the corner of his eye, Vegeta spotted Krillin charging as he let Tien fall he turned to face the small human. Making as much noise as possible Krillin threw his hands forward and let loose a ki blast at the ground. The outpouring of energy launched him skyward along with Vegeta’s gaze. While the saiyan tracked the monk Piccolo silently fired another special beam cannon aimed at Vegeta’s heart. Sensing the danger the saiyan prince saw the attack and smacked the beam away as if it were a simple annoyance. In retaliation, Vegeta shot a quick burst of energy that seared the ground as it barreled down at the namekian. Piccolo leaped to the side but not before the blast ate his right leg as if it was a starved beast.

The saiyan smiled watching another warrior fall before returning his stare to Krillin who held above his head a disc made of pure energy. Whipping his hand forward the disc moved toward Vegeta’s throat hoping to lop off the saiyan’s head before he had another chance to breathe.

_Please!_

The disc sliced through the air and looking to do the same to Vegeta, who responded by catching the attack with his bare hands stopping it completely. With a little effort, Vegeta squeezed his hands together and crushed the attack. The disc’s energy scattered and quickly dissipated leaving nothing but silence and an air of defeat. As Krillin landed he couldn’t stop another ugly thought rule his mind.

_That was it. That was our one chance to end this. And we failed._

“Clever, if that had landed you might have won this battle. Had you used this on Nappa it might have worked. Perhaps it would have saved some of your friends, but you were saving this for me weren’t you?”

Krillin said nothing as he slowly lowered himself back onto the ground and crouched into a stance. His body was still shaking and drops of sweat began to pool on the ends of his face revealing his fear and lack of options.

_Is this all I was capable of? Am I still this weak?_

“What’s wrong human? Nothing to say? You were so talkative during our bargain. Have you begun to realize that in the face of true power you and your friends are nothing? Have you discovered the truth? That Vegeta, Prince of all saiyans is the strongest in the universe?!”

The lone saiyan’s shout mixed with another wave of power blowing away the air in Krillin’s lungs and the hope he had stored in his heart. His eyes flickered and went to Gohan who was shaking again unsure of what to do next, then to Tien who remained on the ground unmoving. Finally to Piccolo who was concentrating on forming a new leg to stand with.

_Need to stall._

“What about Frieza?”

For the first time since he had arrived Vegeta’s grin faded. His brow furrowed, his hands tightened into a fist, while his voice turned toxic and filled with hate.

“How do you know that name?”

“Raditz told us,” Krillin said unsure if he had made a mistake or not. “When he came for Goku he said that you were looking for more fighters to help kill him. He said that Frieza was the strongest.”

Vegeta spat, “If that weakling was still alive I’d kill him again.”

“Is it true? Maybe we could work together to-”

“Still stalling little man?” Vegeta snapped. “Enough talk; show me how a human dies.”

At that moment Krillin had a realization. Another thought that had waited in the back of his mind throughout the battle surged forth with such force and volume it enveloped his entire being instantly. With both hands smashed into fists, his barrier cloaking him with the little energy he still had, and all of his remaining strength brought to life Krillin charged at Vegeta with this thought screaming in his head.

_I’m going to die_

Krillin threw a desperate punch aimed at Vegeta’s head, yet the blow hit nothing but air as the target swayed out of its way like it was standing still. The monk recovered and tried attacking again but the saiyan prince saw an opening and let a punch fly into Krillin’s abdomen shaking the human to his very core breaking through the human’s barrier like it wasn’t there. Falling to his knees Krillin lost control and vomited onto the ground, the smell of digested boar staining the air. Shaking from the pain Krillin could do nothing to stop Vegeta’s boot from ramming into his temple crunching into his skull. Landing on his shoulder Krillin skidded on the ground before coming to a slow stop his entire body ringing and pulsing with pain.

“I see, you're using your energy as a sort of armor. No wonder you were able to survive Nappa’s attacks, very clever little human.” Vegeta said his smile returning in full.

Barely registering the saiyan’s words Krillin attempted a violent effort to stand. His body pulsing with a sharp pain had the monk shaking harder. The difficulty of just raising to his feet had Krillin throwing up again this time his stomach fluid mixed with the blood in his mouth.

_I’m going to die_

Finally getting to feet Krillin drank of the little air his body would allow before rushing at the saiyan prince once more. Leading with a kick fueled with all his remaining energy had no effect as it was batted away like nothing. In response, Vegeta grabbed the collar of the monk’s gi and brought him close enough for a head butt that shattered the bridge of Krillin’s nose before letting him go to watch the monk stagger as if drunk. Blood dying his chin and reduced to breathing through his mouth Krillin attacked again with a fierce knee driving at Vegeta’s stomach. Stepping to the side the saiyan watched the strike fly by before smashing his elbow into the back of the monk’s head. Stumbling and heaving Krillin nearly fell again but refused, his shattered pride the only thing holding his body together. Again he dove at the saiyan with a scream.

Shooting two hard punches that were blocked and a swift kick that was avoided Krillin watched Vegeta’s entire fist envelope his sight as a devastating right hook dug into his bruised and bloody face. Reeling back from the blow Krillin couldn’t even see the knee carve into his kidney. The force from the hit forced him to eject what little matter remained in his stomach. Hitting the ground for only a moment Krillin carried himself back up and shot a hard and heavy kick with his left foot toward the saiyan prince. Vegeta caught the attack with one hand the strength of the blow barely moving him. Before he could retaliate Vegeta saw that the foot he had captured was glowing, the light even shining through the monk’s shoe.

“HA!” Krillin screamed before releasing the pent-up ki out of the sole of his foot. The erupting blast consumed the saiyan with devastating effect as the beam overtook everything in its path dissolving it into nothing. Once his energy was exhausted and his shoe disintegrated Krillin watched the resulting dust cloud with intent as he tried to lower his foot down to the ground. Only for him to realize it was still being held firm.

“So you can release energy not only from your hands but anywhere you choose, very interesting,” Vegeta said his grin still visible even from inside the fog of dust.

Pulling the foot toward himself Vegeta dragged Krillin forward until his knee lay just below the saiyan’s elbow.

“But interesting and clever won’t help you here human.”

Coming down like a guillotine Vegeta’s elbow crunched the monk’s knee cap the bone snapping like a twig in the completely wrong direction, the pain torn through Krillin’s body like a blade as he felt his left leg die. With no strength left to scream Krillin fell into a heap his eyes flickering as he tried to stay conscious his will the only thing stopping his body from going into shock.

_I’m going to die._

Leaping up with his remaining leg the monk threw himself at the saiyan and again another punch was stopped, caught again by the superior fighter.

“You have to be strong as well,” Vegeta smirked before crushing the bones in Krillin’s right fist.

Again the monk screamed but forced his agony down as much as he could before letting his ki explode out of his eyes shooting toward the saiyan prince. Who smacked the attempt away with the back of his hand before flicking his hand upward inches away from Krillin’s face. The saiyan prince smiled as he started to gather energy in his palm with every intention of killing the small human.

“And you will never be stro-”

“DESTRUCTO DISC!”

Both Krillin and Vegeta turned to see Gohan holding above his head a disc of ki. When the attack was fully formed the five-year-old threw the energy filled disc at the saiyan prince’s head. Realizing he had to let go of Krillin to properly dodge Vegeta gave the monk his freedom and let him crumple to the ground before leaping back to barely avoid the attempt on his life the disc missing its mark by inches. As he fell Krillin looked at Gohan who was panting frantically his arm shaking from the amount of energy he had to use.

_Was…was that Gohan?_ Krillin thought with no more strength left to move or even speak his throat hoarse from vomiting blood and food. _When did he learn that?_

“Oh? It seems that Kakarot’s half-breed still wants to fight.” Vegeta paused as he looked back at Krillin sprawled out in front of him. “Shall we see how well he fights when he’s not cowering?”

Without waiting for an answer the saiyan prince brought his foot down hard on his left arm crushing the limb in half. Krillin screamed his voice echoing throughout the battlefield.

“Just so you don’t get any ideas about shooting me in the back,” Vegeta smirked before starting his march toward the little saiyan. Gohan in response took his stance but couldn’t help but shiver as the alien approached.

_No…. I have…I have to stop him._

Krillin tried to move a muscle, any muscle but his body had finally stopped listening.  He had hit his limit. Panting like a dog almost growling at his own weakness the monk tried again to move, only for his body refuse his command once again. The only thing he could do was watch as Vegeta walked closer and closer to the helpless child. And then, in an instant Gohan’s shivering stopped. The five-year old’s eyes went wide before shooting to the sky completely ignoring Vegeta. A single word slowly tumbled out of his mouth as if he were afraid to say it.

“Daddy?”

This word had Krillin’s mind racing, despite going in and out of consciousness he could feel someone approaching, someone powerful. Looking at the same spot Gohan was staring at and tried to sense who was-

_Goku._

Krillin checked again just in case he was imagining it. Yet he could still sense Goku’s energy coming towards him. Shining like the sun and stronger than ever there was no denying his friend’s approach.

_He’s coming. He’s almost here. He’s finally here!_

Before anyone else could make another move a hearty laugh echoed throughout the battlefield.

“It looks like you’ve lost saiyan,” Piccolo said standing on up on his newly regenerated leg. “Goku’s almost here and he brings your defeat with him.”

Vegeta glared at the namekian but pulled his scouter from a pocket and turned it on to see if his opponents spoke the truth. After a moment shock ran across Vegeta’s face as he started coming to terms with the hard truth.

“This…this is impossible,” Vegeta said as he gritted his teeth. “Whoever’s is coming has a power level of 5,000! That can’t be Kakarot!”

 The monk smiled. _Of course, it’s him. He’s coming, and he’ll beat you, just like alwa-_

“I suppose that means I’ll have to kill all of you before he gets here.”

Krillin stopped breathing, the ease at which Vegeta had said this had the small amount of hope he held snap and die as if were never there.

“It’s a pity, you were so close too. I wonder what kind of face Kakarot is going to make when he sees your corpses.”

 “I won’t let you!” Piccolo snarled charging at Vegeta.

In response, the saiyan prince smirked and let his attacker get in close. The namekian threw a hard kick that was sidestepped easily, and with the same fluid motion he had used with Krillin snapped his palm upward against Piccolo’s chest, before firing a single sharp blast that went straight through the warrior, instantly cutting a perfect hole in the middle of his body. Piccolo shook from the shot before falling to the ground with a deep thud that echoed in Krillin’s mind.

_No_

Krillin watched Piccolo’s body laid still, the hole in his torso slowly filling with purple blood staining the grass around him.

_No_

The despair was quick and absolute drowning Krillin completely.

_NO_

The realization of what had happened had Krillin's body quiver and shake, though if it was either in anger or fear he did not know.

  1. _NO. NO._



He began grasping at the dirt like an animal as if it would bring back the life that was taken.

_NONONONONONO_

“Is that all namekian?” Vegeta said looking down at his kill gleefully.

With another fluid motion, Vegeta threw up an arm to block a kick aimed at his head. Locking eyes with this new opponent the saiyan prince smiled as he saw Gohan his face mangled with grief and anger. Throwing the child off Vegeta let out a laugh.

“At last Kakarot’s bastard is ready to fight.”

“You…you hurt Mr. Piccolo!”

“I did, so what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m…I’m going to kill you!”

“Oh? Strong words for once. Let’s see you try.”

Gohan screamed before charging his fists clenched and ready to fight. Vegeta smiled before opening up his stance eager to accept the young half-breed’s challenge, the saiyan’s blood in both fighters fueling their love of battle and ready to unleash all of their power in this one fight.

“NO!”

The shout cut the battle short. Gohan stopped his assault while looking past Vegeta with a horrified expression causing the saiyan prince to stop and turn as well. Still using his right leg to support his weight, his left arm broken, his left knee crushed, his face contorted and bleeding, Krillin was barely alive. But he was, and he was standing.  Running low on blood and energy the only reason he was standing were the voices screaming, roaring, hollowing in his head.

**Fight until you die, human** _Piccolo_

**Be safe** _Master Roshi_

**Don’t let Piccolo die or I’ll really be…in trouble** _Yamcha_

**Please, make sure Tien stays safe** _Launch_

**I don’t want to die** _Chiaotzu_

**Pl…please take care…of Gohan…for me** _…Goku_

 “Fight me.”

The words came out from a ruined man. They came from a human more dead than alive, a bleeding, burning, broken mess that still stood tall.

“Fight me!”

Vegeta scoffed. “Wait your turn human, there’s no challenge in killing a corpse.”

The saiyan prince turned back to face Gohan ready to force the fight forward. Yet a flash of energy caught the corner of his eye forcing him to shift his head out of the way of the attack. But he wasn’t fast enough to avoid it completely. The beam streaked across his cheek digging into his skin and opening up a wound to the air. And for a moment, everything stopped. With a shaking hand, Vegeta slowly touched his cheek and pulled it away to reveal a small trail of blood coating his white glove. He turned back to the monk to see the human with an outstretched hand, a mangled mess of bone and blood. Yet the palm was still smoking from where he had fired the small blast.

“FIGH-”

The punch that interrupted Krillin broke his jaw. Vegeta watched the human fall onto his side and was instantly on him again was a hard kick to his stomach. Krillin gurgled and twitched but didn’t move beyond that.

“You dare!”

Vegeta stomped on Krillin’s right leg feeling it shattered beneath his boot.

“You dare spill royal blood!”

When he received no answer the saiyan prince kicked the monk over so he was flat on his back.

“No one does that to me! I am Vegeta Prince of all saiyans!”

Mounting the human Vegeta started to pummel Krillin into the hard dirt the monk’s blood flying everywhere as Vegeta’s assault picked up its pace.

“I’ AM THE STRONGEST IN THE UNIVERSE!”

Krillin began to feel each punch dull as his body started to fall into shock. Despite the fact that his body was dead the monk thought to himself once again.

_I’m going to die._

Vegeta’s punches started to devolve into deep thuds in his mind. His broken jaw was unable to collect the blood that was pooling out of his throat as it ran down the side of his cheek.

_But, I think I’m okay with that._

In an instant and without warning the punches stopped, and Krillin could feel Vegeta slowly get up and stand. He heard the prince say something to someone but couldn’t make out the words.

_Because I did it._

Slowly opening the one eye he could still see out of Krillin could barely make out a silhouette of a tall man with spiky black hair jetting out in all different directions. The radiating energy he had felt flying through the sky had landed and was just a few feet away from him.

_Isn’t that right Goku?_

Closing the eye Krillin let the soft dark finally overtake him with the whisper of one final thought tickling the back of his mind.

_I kept my promise._


	17. Final Stand

For a long time, Krillin was wrapped in the sensation that he was floating, drifting in a sea of endless dark. Though the white of the hyperbolic time chamber still stayed with him in his nightmares, this black was far worse. All-consuming darkness clawed at every bit of him begging to drag him deeper into nothingness. Suddenly Krillin felt a new sensation, a soothing wave of pleasure shot into the monk like a needle in an arm. The soft torrent flowed in and out of every limb of his body from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. His breathing that had shortened quickened as he drank in handfuls of air filling his lungs with energy. In an instant, the dark that surrounded him had vanished, and Krillin felt his strength return.

“Hey, thought we lost you for a second.”

Though the voice was instantly recognizable Krillin didn’t want to admit he was hearing it. A hallucination or a trick by Vegeta both of these possibilities floated through his head. But after another second had passed the monk gained enough confidence to fully open both eyes to see what awaited him. There standing above him, as if nothing had changed, was Goku.

“G-Goku?”

Taking the monk by the arm Goku pulled Krillin to his feet and let the monk catch his breath.

“You okay?”

Instead of answering Krillin slowly looked at his arms and legs that had been so broken only moments ago. To his astonishment, they had been healed completely as if they were never touched.

“Y…yeah, I think so,” Krillin said still unsure if this was real.

“Glad to hear it,” Goku said with a soft smile. “Sorry, I’m a little late but it’s going to be alright now.”

Krillin looked his friend over almost unable to believe that he was really standing in front of him. This only lasted for a moment as he was reminded of his situation his eyes dipping back down to the ground out of shame.

“Goku, I…I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop them.”

“It’s okay Krillin you did your best.”

“But they destroyed a city Goku! All those people, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Tien, and even Piccolo! Without him, we can’t bring anybody back! I let him die! I let everyone one di-”

“Piccolo’s not dead.”

 Krillin’s voice stopped as Goku stepped to the side revealing Piccolo standing tall comforting Gohan who was wiping away tears from his eyes.

“H…how?” Krillin said unable to say anymore.

“Korin gave me a senzu bean on my way here. I split that one in half and gave you and Piccolo a piece. It was enough to heal both of your wounds. It was close, but he’s fine now.”

_A senzu bean, so that’s what that feeling was. I never realized how effective they could be._ Krillin thought as he watched the namekian lightly scold the half-saiyan for crying so much. Piccolo turned to see Krillin’s stare and offered the human a small nod.

“Tien’s alive too.”

Krillin turned back to Goku his shock at the news easy to see.

“He was knocked unconscious but he’s alive. I couldn’t spare any more of the senzu bean to heal him though. You and Piccolo needed it more.” Goku pointed at Tien who had been moved from where Vegeta had hit him. He now laid upright against a small rock his chest moving up and down as he breathed in and out.

_Alive. They’re still alive._

Krillin’s hand clenched and he bit his bottom lip as he tried to stop a wave of emotion overcoming his control.

_I didn’t fail them all._

 “You’ll have to take him with you before you leave.”

“What?” Krillin asked turning back to Goku. “What do you mean leave?”

“You’ve done your part Krillin. Now you can leave the rest to me.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Yes, we are.”

Krillin turned to see Piccolo walking toward them with Gohan following closely behind. “We’ll just be getting in the way if we stay. We’re too weak to put up any real fight.”

“We can’t just leave, Goku this saiyan is too strong to fight by yourself. The only way we’ll get through this is if we stick together.” Krillin said almost pleading.

“Krillin, you’ve become so much stronger and you fought well. Now it’s my turn.”

“No! I’m not leaving Goku I-”

Before the monk could say another word Goku placed a hand on his shoulder cutting Krillin off.

“Thank you, for protecting Gohan.”

Krillin had been thanked before. For saving a child’s life, for making a promise, and for risking his very life for the world, he had been thanked by many different people. Yet this moment, as he looked up at Goku this gesture, affected him the most. In an instant, the hardships of the past year washed over him as if he were finally able to catch his breath after spending a very long time underwater. Krillin stared at his best friend with wide eyes unable to stop his voice from cracking.

“…You’re…welcome.”

Goku smiled at the tiny human. “Now, I need you to do it again. Take Gohan far away from here, I need you to keep him safe. Can you do that?”

Wordlessly nodding Goku offered the monk another smile before retracting his hand and walking away, towards Vegeta.

“Let’s go,” Piccolo said before turning away, walking to Tien, and hoisting him onto his back. “Gohan, we’re leaving.”

“O…okay Mr. Piccolo,” Gohan said taking to the sky after his mentor.

Krillin watched Goku walk toward Vegeta staring at his best friend’s back as it drifted further and further toward the inevitable fight.

_Even after all this…I still can’t stand beside you._ Krillin thought to himself before he turned to join the others in the sky.

* * *

 

Flying through the air with Piccolo, Gohan, and the unconscious Tien Krillin couldn’t stop himself from looking back in the direction of the battlefield trying to sense Goku’s energy for as long as he could.

“You made the right choice.”

Krillin snapped at attention when he heard Piccolo’s voice.

“You might not have been able to sense it but Goku’s grown far stronger in the past year. Letting him fight alone is our best chance at survival.”

Krillin said nothing but the heavy knot sitting in the pit of his stomach only grew worse.

“Mr. Krillin?” Gohan said noticing the look of concern on the monk’s face and flying closer. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah Gohan, I’m fine.”

“…Okay.” The five-year-old said.

“Gohan why didn’t you tell me you could do that?” Krillin said with a bit of a snap.

“What?”

“My move, whatever you called it, why didn’t you tell me you could do that?”

“The destructo disc?”

“Yes, the destructo disc.” Krillin sighed. “If I knew you could do that I would have planned for it. It could have helped us.”

“I…I.”

“Gohan I just want to know, I’m not mad.”

“…I wanted to surprise you. I’m sorry.”

Krillin sighed loudly.

_I can’t get mad at him. He’s just a kid, he’s just a-_

“Gohan, that was idiotic.”

Both Krillin and Gohan’s head turned to Piccolo his face furrowed with silent anger.

“This fight isn’t the time to be keeping secrets especially if it could help.”

“I’m…sorry.”

“If you truly mean that, do better.”

The harsh tone from the namekian killed the conversation as the three continued to fly this time in silence.

* * *

 

_What is this?_

Krillin stopped dead as a fierce wave of power exploded from the direction of the battlefield. He slowly turned to face the source to see that the power was only growing stronger by the second.

_Is this Vegeta? How is he generating this much energy we can still feel it from here?_

“Goku’s in trouble,” Piccolo said gritting his teeth.

“What do you mean Mr. Piccolo?”

“Look at the sky.”

Krillin followed the order and his eyes shot upward. What he saw confused him more than anything else, despite the hour growing late and the sun dipping in the complete opposite direction there in the sky sat a small circle radiating light onto the Earth.

“What is that?” Krillin asked.

“Not sure, but it can’t be anything good for Goku. His energy is getting weaker.”

Krillin took a moment to confirm if what the namekian was saying was true and sure enough Goku’s ki that had seemed so large before was steadily getting smaller. During the course of the flight home, Goku’s energy had been radically fluctuating to such a degree Krillin never thought possible but it had never been this low.

_Not since his fight with Raditz._

 “We have to go back.” Krillin said slowly, “We’re not out of this yet.”

“I’ll be ready this time!” Gohan said eager to prove himself.

Krillin said nothing for a moment and turned to Piccolo, the namekian silently nodded and Krillin looked back at the five-year-old.

“Gohan, I want you to take Tien and go home.”

“What? No! I can fight Mr. Krillin I’ll do better thi-”

“Gohan.” said Krillin, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go back there. I need you to go home and protect your mom.”

Gohan’s frantic arguing died down at the mention of Chichi. “My mom?”

“Yes, I need you to go home and make sure she stays safe. Only you can do that, can I trust you?”

“I…but what about daddy?”

“Mr. Piccolo and I will go back to make sure he’s alright.”

“But…but what if he’s not and what if you don’t come back?”

Krillin’s gaze softened and he placed a hand on the small child’s shoulder.

“Then it’ll be up to you to finish this.”

Gohan’s entire body stiffened the weight of the monk’s sentence completely overwhelmed five-year-old and sent his mind into a completely blank state. The only thing that brought the young half-saiyans was Krillin’s grip on his shoulder growing tighter.

“But that’s not going to happen.”

As if snapping out of trance Gohan looked back at the monk his eyes flickering with light tears.

“We’ll be back Gohan, that’s a promise.”

As if he had just been given the world the boy’s face lit up putting complete faith in the monk’s words.

“Okay, Mr. Krillin,” Gohan said wiping away his tears.

Silently Piccolo floated over to Gohan and slid Tien off of his back onto Gohan’s. Despite the great size difference between the child and three-eyed warrior Gohan was strong enough that it wasn’t an issue.

“…Mr. Krillin.”

“Yes, Gohan?”

The young half-saiyan reached into his pocket and fished out the small senzu bean that had been given to him hours ago.

“Thank you for giving this to me but I want to give it back now.”

“Are you sure Gohan?”

The five-year-old nodded once which brought a smile to the monk.

“Thank you,” Krillin said as he placed the bean back in his pocket. “You did well Gohan, now it’s our turn, take care of your mom understand?”

“Right!” Gohan yelled before giving one final look to both of his teachers as he turned and flew away.

“You have to stop making promises you might not be able to keep,” Piccolo said slowly.

“…I know.”

Piccolo scoffed before turning flying toward the bright light in the sky. Krillin lingered for a moment before doing the same and shot back toward the battlefield, where Goku’s energy was dipping downward with every moment.

* * *

 

As the two got closer and closer to Goku’s dwindling ki source Krillin was amazed to see that the area that was supposed to be filled with mountains and gigantic rock structures had been completely blown away. As if a tornado had hit the area to destroy everything as far as the eye could see.

_Just how strong has Goku gotten? How was he able to keep up with that monster?_

“Get down!” Piccolo said grabbing Krillin by the head and diving toward the ground. Once there the namekian released his grasp giving Krillin the time to look up and see true horror.

Rising like a mountain in the distance Krillin saw a great ape looking very similar to Goku when he had transformed at the 21st world martial arts tournament all those years ago. Yet this ape was wearing the same battle armor Vegeta had.

“He transformed into a Great Ape,” Krillin said slowly his eyes flickering with sheer disbelief. Looking upward at the great ball of energy in the sky Krillin finally pieced everything together. “That ball must be acting as a moon to replace the one you destroyed. He must have created it using his own energy and transformed…. This is a nightmare.”

“Krillin. What’s the plan?” Piccolo asked bringing Krillin back from his own head.

“Do you have enough energy left to destroy the ball in the sky? If he doesn’t have that he’ll revert back.” Krillin replied.

“No, that thing is made up of too much ki for me to have any effect on it. Even if I was able to destroy it we can’t assume he won’t be able to make another one. We’ll have to conserve our energy.”

“You’re right; I guess our only other option is cutting off his tail.”

“You’ll need to distraction for that, let me do it.”

“No, we almost lost you and the dragonballs I’m not going to let you go in alone against that monster.”

Piccolo grabbed Krillin by the collar of his shirt.

“We don’t have a choice and the more time we waste here the closer we are to losing everything!”

Releasing his grip Piccolo turned and shot off toward the towering ape and the destruction it caused. Krillin silently followed.

* * *

 

“AAAAAGH!”

The two were now close enough to hear Goku’s screams. The howls of pain echoed across the shattered rock and remains of nearby mountains. Vegeta as a great ape towered over the battlefield the giant monkey smiling as he held Goku in his hands slowly crushing the spiky-haired warrior into pieces.

**“Heh heh…It felt like every bone in your body just broke! Does it hurt Kakarot? Well does it?”**

The only answer Goku could provide was to scream louder and with every. Krillin’s control over his own energy started to slip as he felt his hatred for the giant saiyan grow with every passing moment.

“Control yourself,” Piccolo whispered.

 Krillin said nothing but breathed quietly able to find a small sense of calm. “You don’t have to do this, we can find another way.”

“We don’t have the time. Just be ready to catch Goku when you see an opening. If we can get him the senzu bean then he’ll be back at full power. With the three of us, we can still pull this off.”

“…Alright.”

The two got into position and readied themselves. Krillin placed his focus on Vegeta, the saiyan turned ape was still laughing as his torture of Goku continued.

“I’m going.”

“Wait, what are you going to do?”

Piccolo smirked. “I’ll show him he’s not the only giant here.”

The namekian grunted before shooting past the monk and toward the great ape. Krillin quickly dashed behind getting a full view of Piccolo as he slowly began to grow.

His size increasing with each step he took toward the giant monkey as the namekian quickly grew upward his height rivaling Vegeta’s in seconds.

**“Perhaps I’ll keep you alive Kakarot, at least long enough for you to watch your son di-”**

Vegeta’s threat was cut short as a massive green fist collided with the side of his face. Smearing his concentration and shattering his grip on the broken body of Goku. Piccolo’s follow-through had the great ape collapse onto the ground with a thud that scattered the wind as if a small hurricane had suddenly developed. Krillin looked on in amazement for only a moment before his eyes caught Goku’s limp form falling out of the sky. Blasting toward his friend the monk swept him up giving him a shoulder to lean on.

“Ugh!” Goku groaned his body not ready for the sudden jerk of being carried.

“It’s alright I’ve got you,” Krillin said quickly before looking at Piccolo’s giant form. _Forgot he could do that._

Looking around the monk found small clearing obscured from view by a rock pillar not yet destroyed by the battle and laid his friend down. As he listened to Goku’s labored breathing Krillin’s mind wandered back to the aftermath of the Raditz fight. The deep hole filled with blood that had burrowed its way through his friend’s chest flashed through his mind.

_Stop it!_ Krillin told himself. _Don’t lose focus! It’s different this time!_

Reaching into his pocket to fish out the senzu bean Krillin started wondering if Goku was even conscious enough to swallow the life-saving bean. But as time passed his thoughts divulged into a frantic panic as he slowly began to realize-

_The senzu bean…it’s…gone._

For a moment his body went into a complete state of shock before tearing into his own pocket unable to accept the bean had simply vanished.

_It…it must have fallen out at some point…but there’s no way of knowing where…and no time to try and find it…this…this can’t be happening._

“DAMMIT!” Krillin screamed furious with himself knowing this one mistake could mean the life or death of the entire planet. Placing both hands on Goku’s chest Krillin started pumping his ki into his friend.

_We were so close! I…I can’t believe I could make a mistake like this…not now! I…I’m such a-_

**“Bastard!”**

Krillin whipped his head back toward the giant fight hearing Vegeta cry out in rage. The saiyan had gotten back to his feet after the initial punch and was staring Piccolo down.

**“What’s wrong saiyan?”** Piccolo said his voice as strong and deep as Vegeta’s. **“Can’t keep up?”**

Vegeta’s roared as he lunged at the namekian every step he took felt like an earthquake. The two giant’s hands collided with the same force as an explosion the wind they kicked up almost toppling the small rock pillar Krillin and Goku were hiding behind. The saiyan and namekian found themselves in a contest of strength neither willing to give up an inch.

**“You should have stayed away namekian! You might have lived another day!”** Vegeta bellowed as he began to push Piccolo back the differences in strength soon becoming more apparent.

“Dammit!” Krillin cursed again before taking a moment to concentrate and create a copy of himself, splitting his power in half. The copy flew off in the direction of the giant battle while the original stayed with Goku continuing to give his friend energy.

“This is insane,” Krillin said to himself trying to keep focus as every clash of the giants shook the battlefield. “This is insane.”

Finally, the treatment began to take effect as Goku’s eyes flickered open.

“Krillin?”

“Save your strength, Piccolo’s holding him off for now but that won’t last. Can you move?”

“Not….really,” Goku grunted.

“Of course not.”

_You could if I wasn’t a complete failure._

“Heh heh.” Goku laughed as a smile crept onto his face. “He’s…pretty strong …huh?”

Krillin stared at his friend for a moment. “Yeah, he’s strong, he’s also a giant monkey, now come on I’m getting you out of here.”

“Krillin….wait,” Goku said reaching out with hand. “We can still….win.”

“What are you talking about Goku?” Krillin asked worried his friend was delirious from the pain.

“I…I still have the energy….for the spirit bomb.”

“A what?” Krillin asked only half paying attention as he continued to share his energy.

“Here…take my hand.”

With no other options, Krillin obeyed grasping his friend’s hand lightly afraid he’ll do even more damage.

“Hold tight old friend,” Goku said before closing his eyes to concentrate.

In an instant, the sensation of raw power rushed into Krillin’s hand if the monk hadn’t been prepared for it the process could have blown his arm off entirely.

“Wh…what is this?” Krillin sputtered out.

“I told you…it’s the spirit bomb. Learned it…when I was dead.”

Goku stopped to cough a small trickle of blood jetting out of his mouth.

 “We can still…finish this.”

Krillin nodded but his brow began to sweat as the energy kept coming at an enormous rate.

_I’ll have to concentrate on this and stalling Vegeta at the same time. I only hope my body doesn’t explode first._

* * *

 

**“Weak, weak, weak!”** Vegeta screamed as he pushed his green opponent further back. his power completely overwhelming Piccolo.

The namekian was losing ground fast as the great ape continued pressing down on him. Despite his heels digging into the Earth cutting giant trenches the difference in power was too great for Piccolo to overcome. Finally, the pressure was too much and his knees buckled beneath him much to the saiyan’s delight. **“Ah, there you are, on your knees like all you weaklings should be.”**

Piccolo didn’t have the strength to response all of his energy was being used to keep himself from crumbling underneath the saiyan’s weight.

**“Now die!”** Vegeta screamed before opening his mouth his energy already building up ready to vaporize the weakened namekian until Krillin slid into view. The tiny monk placed both hands near his head, closed his eyes, and screamed.

“Solar flare!”

Light exploded into Vegeta’s eyes the saiyan unable to use his hands to cover his face as they were still gripping Piccolo’s.

**“AAAAAGH!”**

The pain forced Vegeta to release his grasp on Piccolo who wasted no time getting to his feet and throwing a hard kick into the great ape’s gut. The saiyan groaned as his body arched back, the force of the blow knocking him off of his feet and shoving him onto the ground the force of the fall generating a huge gust of wind that threatened to blow Krillin away.

**“How’s Goku?”** Piccolo asked his voice booming.

“Not good, he can’t move at all let alone fight.”

**“What? What about the senzu?”**

“I…I dropped it somewhere.”

**“WHAT?!”**

 “It’s not over yet, we’ve got another way to win.”

**“It better be good human!”** Piccolo screamed.

Before Krillin could respond Vegeta started to get up again his rage at its boiling point.

**“I’ll kill you all!”** the great ape boomed his echoing voice nearly shattering Krillin’s eardrums, clutching his head to prevent that the monk nearly missed the wave of energy that poured out of the great ape focused completely within the saiyan’s mouth.

“MOVE!” Krillin screamed as he dived toward the ground.

The focused power exploded out Vegeta’s mouth obliterating everything in its path. Piccolo shrank to avoid the attack the beam missing his head by inches. The blast incinerated the few mountains that still stood and scattered the remaining debris in a harsh whirlwind that Krillin had to take cover from.

_What a monster! There’s no time to even look for an opening to attack._

**“Where are you ants?!”** Vegeta screamed almost blind with rage.

Krillin remained in cover until he heard a light tap of Piccolo landing behind him.

“Bastard almost killed me,” Piccolo said calmly. “Of course your stupidity is only making it easier for him.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Save it.” Piccolo spat. “What’s this plan you’ve got in store?”

“Goku’s down but he told me about a technique he learned while he was training.”

“Heh, so he finally learned something new.”

“He said it’s called the spirit bomb.”

“So this bomb is powerful enough to kill the saiyan?”

“That’s what Goku thinks, right now he’s telling me that he used it to gather energy from the entire planet but he doesn’t have the strength to use it. I split myself in two so he could pass the energy onto me but it's slow going. It’s too bad there are only two of us.”

 “Three. There’s three of us.”

Krillin and Piccolo turned at the unfamiliar voice behind them. There stood a short, tubby, man with a voice that sounded like a falling log.

“Yajirobe!” Krillin exclaimed unable to hold back his surprise at seeing the large samurai. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ll tell ya what I’m doing! I’m missing dinner to fight a giant monkey!”

Krillin smiled, “It’s good to see you.”

“Shut up! You still owe me a meal after this is done!”

Krillin nodded with another smile.

“With three of us, we have a better chance. If I can get him to shift his weight onto one leg then Piccolo you can throw him so that Yajirobe can get to his tail. When that happens Yajirobe it’ll be up to you to cut it through.”

“What’ll that do?” Yajirobe asked.

“It’ll change him back to normal,” Krillin replied quickly.

“Hphm you say that like it’ll be easy, how do you expect to get him to bend his knee do you still have enough energy for a destructo disc?” Piccolo said.

“What? A what disc?” Yajirobe asked.

“I’ll tell you later, and no,” Krillin said quickly. “But I’ve got enough to use the technique you taught me, Piccolo.”

“I never taught you anything,” Piccolo said as if offended.

“Yes, you did.” The monk said with a smile before holding up two fingers toward his head. “I’ve seen you use this at least four times while we trained. It wasn’t that hard to figure out.”

“Cheeky bastard.” Piccolo almost snarled. “You could have used that earlier, maybe we wouldn’t be in this position. Or are you mimicking the actions of a five-year-old?”

“You’re right, but I had to save something back in case you decided to turn on us once this was over.”

“You would use that on me?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

Piccolo said nothing in response.

“The problem is even if we succeed in cutting off his tail we can’t assume he’ll be any less powerful than before. We’ll still have to hold him off until the spirit bomb is ready.” Krillin said while looking over his shoulder to see that Vegeta had yet to find them.

“How much time do you need?”

“Minutes, but that’s a lifetime in a battle like this.”

“You’ll get them, but we have to go now,” Piccolo said.

“Right, Yajirobe are you ready?”

“No.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Without wasting another moment the three broke off from each other and dashed at the giant saiyan in three different directions.

**“There you are!”** Vegeta shouted his voice ringing across the battlefield.

However, before the great ape could attack Krillin had already siphoned enough ki into his fingertips to launch an attack.

“Special beam cannon!” Krillin shouted completely stealing Vegeta’s attention.

The energy erupted out of the monk’s fingers and drilled through the air effortlessly before piercing the saiyan’s left knee cutting through bone and blood effortlessly.

“Ugh!” While the wound was small due to the lack of ki it had the prince of all saiyans stagger forward unable to put all of his weight on his two feet.

In that instant of hesitation, Piccolo grew back to his full giant size and charged the saiyan. With momentum on his side, the giant namekian was easily able to put the great ape into a headlock his giant arm holding the saiyan’s skull tight around his waist.

**“What are yo-”** Vegeta began to question before he was cut off as Piccolo shifted his weight backward.

With his head firmly held Vegeta was driven headfirst into the hard ground. The slam cracked into the very Earth forced the entire battlefield to tremble while kicking up another tornado of dust and rock. However, the plan had worked as Vegeta’s tail was sticking upward toward the sky for all to see.

**“NOW!”** Piccolo bellowed not willing to let go of the saiyan for a second.

Wasting no time Yajirobe leaped at the tail already drawing his sword out of its sheath.

_We got him!_ Krillin grinned as the fat samurai descended upon the unguarded tail.

Yet that thought and the grin Krillin wore vanished as a mighty roar ripped out Vegeta like an animal deprived of its meal. Flexing all of his power the great ape lifted his head up off of the ground with Piccolo still hanging on for dear life. Standing up to his full height Vegeta threw the namekian off of him who landed on the ground with a deep thud that had Krillin’s head ringing. In the same breath, Vegeta spied Yajirobe who had stopped his assault and tried to make a quick retreat back into the rocks.

**“Not this time!”** Vegeta roared as his giant hand reached out and grabbed the tubby human before he could disappear from sight.

“Let go of me alien!” Yajirobe shouted his fear obvious to everyone who heard his scream.

**“Is that an order human?”**

Before Yajirobe could respond Vegeta’s grip on Yajirobe tightened to the point where the bones in the fat samurai began to break and snap, all to the giant saiyan’s glee.

“AAAGH!”

**“That’s better. Though I can’t help but feel a little generous so I will grant your request, just this once.”**

Without another word, Vegeta let go of Yajirobe and watched the human fall out of his grasp and into the dirt. The hard landing caused Yajirobe to lose grip on his sword and was forced to watch the weapon skid away from him.

“YAJIROBE!” Krillin yelled as he ran toward his fallen friend.

Hearing the monk shout his name the samurai reached out with a broken arm hoping to be saved from the pain that had completely overtaken him. Krillin seeing the struggle pushed himself even harder to get Yajirobe before the Vegeta could strike again, but it wasn’t enough. With a foot large enough to block out the sun from view Vegeta stomped the ground with all of his strength bringing his boot crashing down on top of Yajirobe, killing him instantly. With a sickening crunch and splat of blood, Krillin felt Yajirobe’s ki vanish and he knew that yet another one of his friends had died right in front of him.

_Again…it happened again._

Krillin trembled for a moment. His grief and fear getting the better of him but as Vegeta slowly raised his foot out from the great hole he had created and the smell of blood spilled out from it the monk forced himself back into the fight.

_First time. This is the first time, he can be brought back._

**“Not quick enough, human”**

Krillin said nothing but locked eyes with Vegeta his hatred pouring off him.

**“Oh? Speechless again?”**

In truth Krillin knew there was nothing he could do, even talking might anger the saiyan. If he fled or attacked the result would no doubt be the same. The only thing he could do was wait for Goku to finish giving him the spirit bomb and hope that Vegeta wouldn’t see the attack coming.

_Just a few more minutes._

**“You’re so quiet human, I wonder if you’ll scream like your friend when I crush your bo-”**

Vegeta’s taunts were cut short as an explosion of energy collided with the saiyan’s back causing the great ape to step forward his boot threatening to crush Krillin as well.

**“WHO?”**

Vegeta turned completely to face this new attack only to come face to face with, Tien. The three-eyed human was standing on a rock pillar directly behind the great ape, while he was able to fire off a blast of ki, though the effort had left him in a weakened state unable to move for a moment.

_Tien? When did he get here?_

As quick as Krillin’s mind was racing all thought stopped as he realized the situation unfolding before him. Yajirobe’s sword was within reach and Vegeta’s back was completely turned, his tail in full view. The saiyan in his anger had finally made a mistake, one that Krillin would not let go unpunished. Using his remaining ki to propel himself forward desperate to seize this opportunity Krillin grabbed the blade and leaped into the air in the same breath. With his heartbeat thumping in his head a vicious scream exploded out of the monk as sliced the great ape’s tail off, with one clean stroke.

**“AAAAAAH!”**

The scream of pain ripped out of Vegeta forcing both Tien and Krillin to cover their ears in fear of rupturing an eardrum. However, the scream’s volume and power began to wither. As Krillin stared at the saiyan he watched as Vegeta started to shrank, its mass, and weight fading into itself and before long where the great ape once stood Vegeta had taken its place the same size he was when he first arrived.

“BASTARDS!”

The only response Vegeta received was a thrown sword aimed at his head. Batting away the weapon left the saiyan prince unprepared for Krillin’s follow-up attack, a swift punch that dug deep into Vegeta’s stomach.

“Guh!”

 The punch forced Vegeta back two steps while doubled over from the pain. Krillin pressed his advantage his anger overriding common sense. Before the monk could react Vegeta recovered and answered the human’s assault with an uppercut that made Krillin’s teeth rattle. The saiyan prince’s rage seethed out of him like a pot boiling over. His fists tightened to the point where his fingers began to crack as he descended upon the monk ready to kill.

“Tri-beam!”

The beam was fired into Vegeta’s blind spot but the saiyan prince noticed the blast before it hit. This split second reaction saved Vegeta from any damage but forced him back and put an end to his attack. Vegeta shifted his focus back to Tien who had leaped off the rock pillar and attacked again before landing next to Krillin.

“Tien, what are you doing here?” Krillin said softly his eyes never leaving Vegeta’s.

“I woke up while Gohan was carrying me; he explained what had happened so I turned around and flew back. Looks like I made it just in time.”

“You’re telling me,” Krillin said before looking at Tien’s lost arm. “But are you okay? You haven’t been able to recover at all.”

“I’m fine,” Tien replied. “…I…saw what happened to Yajirobe. Is it just us left?”

“No there’s-”

Krillin stopped as he spotted Piccolo flying toward them, before landing next to him.

“Yajirobe?” Piccolo asked.

“Gone,” Krillin answered.

Piccolo cursed before bringing his attention to Tien. “So, you’re still alive.”

“I won’t die until this saiyan is in the ground.” Tien shot back.

 “Humph, you say that but I can see you’re barely standing Are you ready to fight?”

“Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

 “Good, regardless you wouldn’t be able to leave anyway; the prince of all saiyans wouldn’t let you.”

Krillin realized that Piccolo had said that both for Tien’s sake and his own.

_He’s right, if any of us tried to escape now Vegeta would no doubt attack him first to go for the weakest target._

“Tien, you’re hurt the most out of all of us. We’ll be counting on you to back us up,” said Krillin. “We’ve got a plan in place but we need to hold him off for a few more minutes. Okay?”

“…alright,” Tien said not happy with being stuck in the back.

“Good, now focus up, he’s lost a lot of energy since we cut off his tail but he’s still too much for any one of us to fight alone. Stick together and look for any openings you can find just like with Nappa. Ready?”

To answer both Tien and Piccolo brought the little power they had to its peak, Krillin followed suit and the ground shook as the last remaining defenders of Earth prepared to attack the lone saiyan with everything they had.

“We finish this, we go home! He’s the last thing standing in our way!”

Tien nodded, Piccolo smirked, and Krillin screamed.

“LET’S GO!”


	18. Nightmare's End

Vegeta was angry. He had been angry since that short, bald, little nothing had the gall to make him bleed on this nothing planet. But now, now after being beaten back by a lower class saiyan and having his tail cut off at the base, he was at a point where his anger overrode every other instinct he had. Despite his weakened state, despite the numbers against him, despite everything, Vegeta was still just as ready to end this as Earth’s three remaining warriors rushed him. He wasn’t going to rest until they were dead at his feet.

“That’s right come! All you weaklings should die together!” The saiyan prince spat out.

The small human and the namekian lead the charge as Tien held back waiting for an opportunity. Vegeta snarled at the lack of respect and met his immediate attackers head on. His first target was the monk who threw his hands up to the side of his head. Most likely to try and blind the saiyan prince once again. Vegeta recognized the technique and grabbed the human’s hands by their wrist and ripped them away from the bald forehead.

“Not this time little man.”

Before the human could react Vegeta crushed his head against the monk’s momentary stunning him.

“Ugh!” Krillin groaned already seeing stars.

Piccolo took Vegeta’s back and approached ready to strike. Sensing the danger Vegeta whirled Krillin around and threw him into Piccolo sending both of them crashing into a nearby rock. The saiyan prince then diverted his attention to Tien but instead was greeted with a wall of energy. The three-eyed human had fired off a great blast but Vegeta had been expecting it and was able to avoid it easily and fire back with a hard blast of his own. Tien hesitated for a second when he saw this attack coming but reacted to it in time and leaped into the air out of its way. Vegeta’s hand went skyward and prepared to fire again but paused when he felt killing intent at his back. The prince spun around just in time to block two quick attacks from Krillin and Piccolo. While neither attack did any damage they did succeed in forcing Vegeta back.

_This…This is unacceptable!_ Vegeta screamed to himself as he was pushed further back despite his heels digging into the dirt.

Keeping up the pressure Krillin and Piccolo unloaded all of their power into every punch and kick they threw at the saiyan prince. In an instant, Vegeta was on the defensive. Weaving in and out into any small opening he could find, all the while his anger grew more and more. Gritting his teeth Vegeta allowed a punch thrown by Piccolo to land so that he could get in closer and pour out a heavy chunk of his energy directly into the namekian’s chest.

“Die!” Vegeta screamed before detonating the blast throwing Piccolo back into a series of hard boulders.

However, the attack exhausted Vegeta for a moment which was just enough time for Krillin to shoot a heavy hook straight into his kidney. The blow connected with enough force for Vegeta’s blood to jet up out of his mouth covering his tongue with its taste.

“Guh!” Vegeta spewed before retaliating with a devastating kick that speared into the monk’s ribs tossing him back.

Krillin bounced once before he was caught by Piccolo. However, there wasn’t enough time to recover as Vegeta barreled down on the pair hungry for a kill.

“Tri-beam!”

Again Tien shouted out an attack and again Vegeta was forced to dodge by jumping to the side stopping his charge.

_These pests just keep coming, I don’t even have enough energy left to disintegrate this pathetic piece of rock they call a planet_. Vegeta thought as he spit out a mouthful of blood.

_The bald one will die first, he deserves it the most. Then the freak with three eyes, I’ll make him sorry he came back. Then I’ll kill the namekian after I’ve got all the information I need on the dragon balls and finally Kakarot...wait where is Kakarot?_

Vegeta’s eyes grew wide as he realized his error.

_I’ve lost him! Where did he go?! They must have snuck him away in the confusion! He could be miles from here by now! He’s…no, wait…he’s close._

Slowly Vegeta’s head turned in the direction where Goku and Krillin lay quietly preparing the spirit bomb.

_He’s there I think…but how do I know that? I don’t have a scouter on so I shouldn’t be able to…unless…I see._

Suddenly Vegeta began to laugh. The heartfelt sound echoed across the battlefield as the laugh became less and less controlled.

“I see! Even now I can still become stronger!”

Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien said nothing but the saiyan’s shift in tone had all of them on edge.

“It seems this trip will be even more fruitful than I had previously imagined!” Vegeta bellowed his laugh devolving into a cackle.

“Enough talk saiyan.” Piccolo said, “I don’t care if you’ve lost your mind or not you’re not walking away from this alive.”

“Oh?” Vegeta said as he regained his composure. “Big talk from a dead man.”

Piccolo roared as he charged at the prince, Krillin disappeared from view planning to catch Vegeta with his guard down, Tien gathered his ki into his hands and shot another beam right at Vegeta’s head. In response to all of this, the prince of all saiyans closed his eyes. There, in complete darkness, he could feel all three of his enemies closing in on him. He could feel Piccolo lunging from the front, Krillin sneaking up at him from the side, and the blast of energy coming at his back.

_Somehow in the heat of this battle, I have grown stronger yet again!_

Despite moving faster than the eye could see Vegeta shot out a hand that grasped Krillin by his collar stopping the monk in his tracks. Quickly pivoting Vegeta threw Krillin at the beam descending on his back. The monk collided with the blast resulting in a heavy explosion that threw him to the ground in a heap, the flesh on his back as he lay in the ground.

With the human taken care of for the moment, Vegeta turned to face the namekian. Ducking under a heavy kick Vegeta retaliated with a burst of punches. Every blow landed leaving Piccolo battered and bruised in seconds. To finish his rush Vegeta leaped into the air and shot down with a hard kick that connected with Piccolo’s skull crunching it into the ground.

“Piccolo! Krillin!”

Finally, the saiyan prince and Tien were the only ones left standing. Offering the half-saiyan a quick smirk was enough to spur the human into action. Tien charged with a scream while Vegeta took a stance ready to engage. Tien started the fight by getting in close and shooting another beam out of his hands. Vegeta smacked it away and closed the gap even more with a heavy fist ready to fly. However, as soon as the saiyan prince drove his punch forward he was stopped with a hard block from Krillin who had appeared just in time to defend his friend.

“Stop getting in my way!” Vegeta screamed pushing through the monk and driving him back.

Not willing to give up a chance to kill the bothersome human Vegeta lunged with a crazed howl. Regaining his balance Krillin generated a small amount of energy in his hand and threw onto the ground kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

_Trying to hide weakling?_ Vegeta said to himself, _That’s a mistake._

Amidst the blanket of dirt and gravel, the prince closed his eyes and reached out with all of his senses. A moment passed, and then another until suddenly he felt the pressure of an attack coming at his back. Ripping his eyes open Vegeta turned and flung a sharp fist that collided and tore through whatever was behind him. As the dust began to fade Vegeta smiled as he saw his punch had ripped straight through Krillin’s chest.

“H…how?” Krillin coughed out, blood already streaming out of his wound. “Y…you shouldn’t…have been…able-”

“To see you?” Vegeta finished, “If this were the start of our battle that would have been true, but saiyans are the greatest warriors in the universe. We can grow stronger even during a fight to the death!”

Tearing out his arm back out of the monk’s body Vegeta flexed his bloodied hand as Krillin fell to the ground, the hole in his chest desperately pumping blood.

“Thanks to this battle I have evolved once more! I can now sense your energy!”

Krillin stiffened and his eyes grew wide.

“So thank you, human,” Vegeta said generating his energy into an outstretched hand. “For helping me grow even stronger!”

The saiyan prince fired directly into the monk’s head dissolving the skull in an instant. Vegeta laughed again before turning toward the frightened half-saiyan and the enraged namekian.

“So, who's next?”

* * *

 

Krillin winced as he coughed out a handful of blood.  The liquid falling to his side as he continued to hold onto Goku’s hand.

_That’s the aftereffect of a copy dying I guess._ Krillin thought before refocusing on the task at hand.

The amount of ki flooding into his hand was extraordinary and if it hadn’t been for the extra time he had spent in the time chamber Krillin wasn’t even sure he’d be able to handle it.

_Much_ _less divert half my power into a clone to help hold off Vegeta._

“Krillin…you okay?”

The monk snapped to attention at Goku’s question.

“I’m fine Vegeta got me, and… Yajirobi…”

“We…can still wish…him back, when this is…over.”

“Yeah, you’re ri-”

Before Krillin could finish every instinct he had started to scream that he was in serious danger.

_Wait, if he can sense energy now…it’s only a matter of time before he finds us!_

 “Goku we have to hurry! How much more time?” Krillin shouted.

“Al…almost…done.” Goku wheezed out.

Krillin clenched his jaw as he felt the last bit of energy slip off of Goku and wedge itself into his palm.

“Wh…what is this?”

Until now Krillin had been forced to split his focus between fighting Vegeta and absorbing the energy but now that he was back in full control he could only stare in awe and the staggering amount of energy concentrated in his hand.

“T-take it and focus it above your palm…It’ll form a ball.”

Krillin concentrated following his friend’s instructions, though the attempt depleted most of his strength.

“Don’t let it overwhelm you…don’t think anyone else could…control this type of ki.”

_Huh? What does he mean?_ Krillin thought before redoubling his efforts. Centering himself and blocking out all outside distractions Krillin directed his complete attention on the heart of the energy, willing the mass of energy to form into a sphere.

**Thump**

A dense beat echoed throughout the monk’s body. His entire being quaked at the noise resounding in every part of his spirit. For a long hard moment, Krillin lay absolutely still his form quivering from the sound.

_What…what was that?_

“Krillin.”

His name softly spoken by Goku brought the monk back out of his own head. In the same breath, Krillin looked at his hand no longer holding a crackling mess of energy. Instead, a simple sphere of ki lay above it floating calmly in the air.

“Is…is this a-”

“Spirit Bomb…you did it Krillin.”

The monk’s amazement was shattered as a cry of pain from Tien rang out across the battlefield.

“Please Krillin…make sure you hit him with that.” Goku gasped, “I can’t make another one…so don’t miss your chance.”

Krillin nodded before he leaped into the air, landing at the very top of the rock pillar he and Goku had been hiding behind. From there Krillin had a perfect view of the ongoing battle between Vegeta, Tien, and Piccolo. The fight was completely one-sided. Despite having the advantage of number neither Tien nor Piccolo could put up much of a fight against the saiyan prince.

“So once your precious leader dies so does your strength? Is this really all the fight you vermin have left?”

Again and again, Vegeta came at the two his bloodlust growing larger with every strike. Even with his wounds, the prince of all saiyans had completely immersed himself in the battle. He had muted his own pain so that he could inflict twice as much on his enemies.

_He’s moving too fast I can’t get a lock on him. At this rate, Tien and Piccolo will be dead before I can even throw the spirit bomb._

**Thump**

Once more the heavy beat reverberated through Krillin. It’s sound pulsing with a weight that he had never felt in his life, every inch of him responded to the beat with absolute awe.

_This again, what is it?_

_Don’t pay it any attention; you don’t have the time human._

Krillin’s eyes went wide at the sound of a voice that wasn’t his own, as he had heard it in his own head.

_The spirit bomb is not something you aim with your eyes, you must sense out the saiyans presence before you launch it. It requires your complete concentration._

Again the mysterious voice played out in his head causing Krillin to monetarily question his own sanity.

_Heh, you’re not going crazy human, at least not yet. My name is King Kai and I am the one who taught Goku the spirit bomb._

“King Kai?” Krillin said not sure if he wanted to question the voice in his head.

_I understand you have questions but they must wait. This fight hinges on your one shot. Know that the hopes of the entire planet are stored within that spirit bomb._

**Thump**

Again the sound of the spirit bomb shook through Krillin’s head with such force he was worried it would split him in two.

_This…this is Earth’s power?_

**Thump**

_Ignore the noise_ Krillin told himself. _Keep yourself centered._

Panting frantically just to keep his focus the monk closed his eyes and reached out with his senses searching for Vegeta and the right moment to strike.

_Don’t rush it, wait._

He could feel Tien and Piccolo fighting for their lives as Vegeta laughed like a madman. Cornered and out of options, the two could barely keep up as they lost both ground and strength with every passing moment.

_Don’t lose him, focus._

He could hear the shouts of pain coming out of his two remaining friends and flinched. Yet his breath had slowed and his mind calmed to the point where he had blocked out all distractions, ending this fight was the only thing on his mind.

_Don’t miss._

Ripping his eyes open and centering them on the saiyan prince Krillin readied himself to throw the spirit bomb and finally end this, but just as he reeled back his eyes locked in with Vegeta’s. The saiyan had turned just in time to see Krillin standing on the rock pillar ready to throw.

_He’s seen me! He must have sensed the spirit bomb’s energy now that I’m so close!_

Krillin hesitated, having lost the element of surprise he knew that even if he were to attack now there was no chance Vegeta would stay still long enough for the spirit bomb to connect.

_No! I can’t believe I- wait what is Piccolo doing?_

The namekian had rushed at the saiyan while his back was turned and grappled Vegeta pulling him into a full nelson.

“What? What are you doing?!” Vegeta spat as he struggled to free himself.

“Throw it!” Piccolo roared catching both Krillin and Vegeta by surprise.

Gritting his teeth Krillin could feel his head spin out of control at his situation.

_I…I can’t. If I throw this now I’ll hit Piccolo. If it kills him that means Kami will die too, and the dragonballs will be gone forever. I…I can’t do that!_

“THROW IT NOW!” Piccolo screamed his strength fading fast against Vegeta’s might.

_I can’t, I can’t, I can’t I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t I-_

**Thump**

Earth’s heartbeats rang out across Krillin, rippling from his head to his core once again. Turning to look at the small sphere of power the monk trembled as he felt its power, the power of an entire planet.

_…I have to._

Taking a step forward with a wail bursting out of him Krillin whipped his arm at Piccolo and Vegeta the spirit bomb shooting at the pair as.

“NO!” Vegeta shouted as he continued to flail around in the hopes of getting free. But Piccolo’s grip remained and as the spirit bomb grew closer the namekian cracked a small smile.

“You lose saiyan.” 

As the spirit bomb collided against Vegeta’s chest the ball of crackling energy enchased the two in an instant. The sphere hissed and sizzled around Piccolo and Vegeta the heavy ki attacking them from every angle. Krillin could hear both of the aliens scream as the spirit bomb continued its assault. His eyes widened as the light from the bomb grew brighter and brighter as their howls grew louder and louder. The wind whipped around the battlefield at a high enough speed that the few rock formations that remained were blown away from the force of the sphere. The destruction the bomb caused around it was only matched by the horrific pain it inflicted on Vegeta and Piccolo. Before Krillin could move the ki exploded upward into the sky taking both the saiyan and the namekian with it. As the explosion faded from sight and sound Krillin fell to his knees, his entire body shaking from the shock.

_What…what have I done?_

The monk’s shaking grew more vicious and nauseating as Krillin’s head spun around like a top. He gagged once and but he had nothing left in his stomach to vomit out.

_Piccolo, Kami, Yamcha, Yajirobi, all those people from East city…I killed them._

 “Krillin.”

Hearing his name slowed the shaking as he turned to see Tien landing beside him.

“Tien…I.”

“…it’s not your fault,” Tien said kneeling down. “You did what you had too.”

Krillin nodded but said nothing.

“Is Goku near here? We need to tell him that it’s over.”

“…right.”

The two flew over to where Goku lay, still unable to move.

“Hey…Tien. Good to see you.” Goku wheezed out.

“Heh, looks like you took a real beating this time,” Tien said with a soft smile.

“Yeah…Vegeta got me…good.” Goku then turned toward Krillin. “Is…is it over?”

“…yeah, but. Piccolo is gone.”

“Gone? That means, the dragonballs ar-”

Goku was cut off by a loud thud ringing out by the battlefield. The three warriors turned to a cloud of dust appear just a few feet from where they stood. Once the small cloud of dust dissipated Krillin was able to see two bodies, Piccolo and Vegeta’s.

“Their bodies, did they fall out of the sky?” Tien asked.

“…we should bury them,” Krillin said as he walked toward the two corpses. “They deserve a proper grave.”

“A grave for yourselves!?”

Krillin’s heart stopped as Vegeta’s voice rang out. Despite the damage done the saiyan prince slowly rose to his feet. His saiyan armor was cracked and his blood was flowing freely down the side of his head. His arms hung low and his breath came out in slow shallow bursts. The saiyan prince was severely weakened, but he was still alive.

“I have to admit….I have never been pushed this far before. For a moment I even thought I was going to die for a moment.” Vegeta said as he struggled to gain his balance. “I don’t know how you…survived human…but that’s an error I intend to correct.”

Krillin was so stunned at Vegeta’s revival that wasn’t prepared for the backhand that nearly tore his head from his neck. The monk crashed onto the ground with a hard thud before coughing up a small amount of blood from his throat.

“You may have succeeded in wounding me but that’s all you’ve done! Once I have rested and recovered my full strength I’m going to take my time and slowly annihilate every single creature on this worthless excuse of a planet!”

Krillin saw Tien charge at Vegeta ready to use what remaining strength he had left. But he was too late. Crossing his arms together Vegeta harnessed his energy, brought it to its peak, and erupted it outward covering the surrounding area in an outpouring of ki scattering rocks and dust and throwing Goku, Krillin, and Tien away like it was nothing.

(Cut)

_Wh…what happened?_

Krillin slowly came too his head still ringing from Vegeta’s detonation.

_Right…Vegeta’s still alive… I have to…stop him._

But he couldn’t. Once again Krillin had hit his limit. Laying on the ground he struggled to move desperately clinging to consciousness.

_I won’t…let it end like this._

“Well, well…here we are again.”

Krillin froze as Vegeta’s voice rang out above him.

“Me standing above you as you roll around in the dirt where you belong.”

Vegeta’s kick came hard and fast as it exploded along the side of Krillin’s head.

“You’ve put me through quite the ordeal human. But it ends now.”

A second kick connected with Krillin’s ribs cracking one and breaking two.

“You’re going to die here.”

 The third kick was thrown out with such force that it had Krillin skidding across the ground only to come to a dead stop a few feet away. The all too familiar sensation of shock slowly setting into his bones and black spots flickered in and out of his eye line.

_He’s right._

Krillin’s body convulsed as a wave of nausea and pain spread through him.

_I did everything I could…but it wasn’t enough… Goku couldn’t beat him …so how could I?_

His mind began to slow and the black spots in his vision grew larger as another sensation he was familiar slowly started to grab hold.

_Maybe it won’t be so bad. Gohan could still win…and if he doesn’t. We’ll be altogether…in the end._

Krillin’s eyes started to close and his heartbeat started to flatten.

_I’m a hero for trying…right? There wasn’t anything else I could do…right? So…why does this feel… so wrong?_

Krillin’s eyes sputtered open to look out at his world one last time. Only to see the small senzu bean that had fallen out of his pocket lying right in front of him. His breath that had faded to a crawl came back full force at the sight of the small healing wonder. Panting like a crazed dog Krillin reached out with his broken arm at the senzu bean, both his mind and heart now focused on one singular goal.

_No, I’m not done!_

His shattered arm clawing its way closer to the bean Krillin’s mind reached out to his body in a final call of strength.

_I still!_

Inching closer to the senzu the monk’s entire body started to collapse his will the only thing keeping his blood pumping.

_I STILL!_

As he stared down at his last hope his mind and will echoed the same message one that would force his body to perform one last miracle.

_I STILL HAVE A PROMISE TO KEEP!_

* * *

 

_Damn humans…never should have been pushed this far._ Vegeta thought to himself as he nearly stumbled over as his vision blurred. _I’ve lost too much strength I need to kill them all now while I have the chance._

He had kicked Krillin far enough away that he had forced himself to walk toward the monk. As he did he noticed a particularly large stone that was once part of a great mountain that had long been reduced to rubble. With a smirk, the saiyan prince grabbed the stone and continued his warpath toward Krillin.

“Trying to crawl away human?” Vegeta shouted as he watched Krillin writhing on the ground. “You won’t get far without any legs to stand on!”

Bringing the rock down hard on the monk’s right leg Vegeta felt the bone shatter and bust under the stone’s weight. Krillin thrashed as the pain swept through him but didn’t scream; instead, he kept moving his body forward, which Vegeta noticed.

“Still trying to run? Pathetic.”

Picking up the heavy rock the saiyan prince gripped it tightly before driving it deep into Krillin’s left leg. With a loud crack the limb’s bones splintered apart, yet again Krillin kept his mouth closed and his body moving.

“You are a determined insect, I’ll give you that,” Vegeta said positioning himself right above the monk’s head, his bloodied stone lifted high above his head.

 “But it’s over now.”

Vegeta cackled looking forward to the sound of Krillin’s head being crushed in the ground. That sound never came. It was replaced with a light crunch, the sound of someone biting into a small piece of food, which then transformed into a soft swallow.

_Is he eating something?_

A loud, sharp, crack of a clenched hand hit the prince of all saiyans square in the temple the strike echoing throughout his skull. The mighty warrior hit the ground hard his vision fading in and out as he lay flat on the Earth.

_W…what?_

Slowly he rose to his feet still unsure of what had happened. Shaking his head trying to regain focus Vegeta locked eyes with the monk who just a second ago had been rolling on the ground, dyed in his own blood with two broken legs and not a chance in hell. Now, now the monk was on his feet. Again.

_What just happened?_

He watched the human stare him down the injuries he had sustained seemed to have just vanished as if they were never there. His gi was torn from that last explosion but other than that there were no scars, no blood, nothing to signify the monk had been in a life or death battle for hours.

“How?” Vegeta said slowly dragging out the word for as long as he could. “You should be dead by now.”

Krillin said nothing.

“You should have died, a thousand times over by now!” Vegeta spat his blood jetting out of his mouth as it mixed in with his salvia.

Krillin said nothing.

“Do you think you’re better than me?! The prince of all saiyans?! Do you think your tricks will work against me?! I am the strongest in the uni-”

“Shut up.”

Vegeta sputtered to a stop as Krillin’s words hung in his ears. Curling his hands into shaking fists Vegeta screamed as he lunged at Krillin. Stepping to his side Krillin avoided the charge and the two punches that came after. The prince of all saiyans saw red and unloaded a storm of hard punches and kicks. Every single one of them hit air and nothing else.

With one final effort, Vegeta swung with his all of his strength shooting a punch at Krillin which landed dead on the monk’s jaw. This stopped the monk in his tracks as the blow shook him, but it did nothing more. Krillin met Vegeta’s eyes completely unaffected by the strike. For one long breath, neither fighter moved as Vegeta’s arm fell down utterly exhausted. The prince of all saiyans was out of strength. Still, on his feet, Vegeta slumped panting for air his body shaking just from the effort of standing. Gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into fists Vegeta charged again. Only to be stopped completely by a vicious punch smashing against his face. The blow had Vegeta backpedaling trying to regain his balance but Krillin was on him driving his foot straight into the saiyan’s stomach. Vegeta gagged blood and leaned forward. Krillin moved to his side and shot a kick at Vegeta’s unprotected knee ripping the bone in two. Vegeta screamed and stumbled. Grabbing him by the hair Krillin lifted the saiyan up before ramming his knee into Vegeta’s mouth. The impact cracked two teeth smearing the mouth red. Vegeta threw another desperate punch in retaliation. Only for his fist to the caught by the monk, like it was nothing. With the hand firmly grasped Krillin turned and threw the saiyan over his shoulder letting the prince fall on his back with a loud crack. Vegeta hacked blood again before his skull was caved in with a swift kick to the head sending him tumbling through the dirt. Skidding to a stop Vegeta clutched his head in pain while screaming out. Krillin slowly walked toward his opponent every step he took filled with the desire of killing the alien rolling on the ground. Lifting his head to look at the approaching monk Vegeta aimed his arm at Krillin and fired a short burst of energy at him. Without breaking his stride Krillin smacked the blast away, undeterred. Firing again Vegeta grunted as he slowly got to his feet his broken leg dragging him back to the ground. Krillin swatted away the next blast slowly picking up the pace his anger finally cracking through his cold demeanor. Recoiling from the aggressive push Vegeta doubled down throwing multiple blasts of energy in the hopes that one of them would stop his attacker. Holding his ground for a moment Krillin weaved through most of the onslaught and slapping away the last two. With the attack over Krillin lunged toward the saiyan prince shooting himself at a high speed. Raising his right hand above his head Krillin formed a disc of energy and whipped at Vegeta. As soon as the disc was thrown he lifted his left hand and repeated the action hurling another destructo disc at the saiyan. The two circles of energy darted at Vegeta at a higher speed then he was ready for. Ducking under the first disc left his side exposed long enough for the second attack to carve deep through his saiyan armor and hit skin. The wound staggered the saiyan prince and forced him to take a knee. This gave the monk enough time to ram his fist into Vegeta’s skull caving in the sayian’s nose bending it sharply to the side. The impact threw Vegeta back to the ground and had Krillin follow up with a hard burst of ki exploding from his hands. The energy detonated right on top of the saiyan launching him further into the dirt. Gasping for breath the saiyan prince forced himself to stand back up. The blast had knocked him far enough away from Krillin to help Vegeta regain his focus, but not any strength. The monk had started his charge toward the saiyan again looking to end the fight with one more attack.

_How?_

Walking backward Vegeta’s feet started to move slower as they almost dragged against the ground. His arms started to hang down towards the dirt as the lack of energy started to take its toll.

_How?!_

His breathing started to become more and more frantic almost gasping for breath as his chest heaved in and out desperate for the energy to attack. The blood dripping down from his nose started to seep into his mouth the iron taste coating his lips.

“HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?!”

Raising his hand above his head a circle of energy began to form. Whipping the arm forward the circle became a disc that cut through the air toward the monk. Krillin had lowered his guard as he charged and through he tried to dodge the energy disc caught him in the side of his right shoulder cutting deep into his skin.

“Ugh!” Krillin cried as he blood sputtered out dripping down his right arm. Grasping his shoulder with his left hand Krillin tried to stop the blood from flowing out. He winced as he put pressure on the wound and glared at the saiyan prince. Seeing the look the monk gave Vegeta offered a small smirk.

Looking at the small smile had Krillin seeing red. With a roar exploding out of him Krillin tore at Vegeta. He threw the saiyan onto the ground with a hard punch to his jaw before mounting the prince and ramming his fist into the alien’s face. With his right shoulder still bleeding the monk was forced to rely entirely on his left hand, smashing it into the saiyan prince’s face with every ounce of power. Again and again, the monk lay into the saiyan his hand slowly coating itself in blood. Every punch forced out another cry out from Krillin until he was screaming, his hatred for the saiyan and his own weakness completely controlling him. Not willing to stop Krillin reared his fist back again and brought it down hard enough to break one of his own knuckles.

The rush of punches slowed as Krillin started to lose his strength. As he started to pant his left arm slumped down. Breathing heavy he looked down at the bloodied mess he had created. Vegeta’s face had been smashed into the point where a small pool of blood had gathered around his head. The smile that had enraged him had faded only to be replaced with nothing. Vegeta eyes had closed long ago and he had remained completely still. Looking at what he had done Krillin’s left hand started to shake and his nausea started to creep up on him. Krillin could feel himself shaking his eyes starting to blur with tears. Whipping his eyes only served to smear his face in red and hurt his hand.

“You’re… pathetic.”

The words had Krillin reeling as he looked down only to see Vegeta’s hand placed on his chest. Unable to react in time the saiyan blasted the monk off of him with a beam of energy. Landing on his back Krillin gripped his chest in pain. The blast had been dulled due to the lack of energy but it still felt like the monk had been hit by a truck. Gasping for breath Krillin struggled to get up worried he was going to lose Vegeta in the commotion. Yet his fear was unfounded as he saw the saiyan prince, trying to crawl away. For a moment Krillin watched him, digging into the ground the prince was doing everything in his power to escape but to where he had no idea. Slowly getting to his feet Krillin winced as the wound on his shoulder throbbed. Covering the cut with his blistered, bruised, and broken hand Krillin started to walk toward Vegeta, only to be interrupted by a great white sphere crashing into the ground. The sphere had landed just a few feet from where Vegeta was crawling. Looking closely Krillin saw the sphere open itself to reveal its inner workings. Unable to recognize the technology the sphere held inside Krillin could only base his next guess on the desperation Vegeta was displaying as he crawled to the mystery object.

_Wait…is that a spaceship? He’s trying to escape!_

Krillin lunged at the saiyan and grabbed him by the foot. Dragging him away from his ship Krillin kicked him over onto his back and aimed his hand right at the prince’s face.

“No, you don’t get to leave.”

Vegeta struggled but and tried to back away closer to his ship, but Krillin wouldn’t let him. Energy started to gather in his left hand. It crackled with purpose as the monk prepared to shoot the ki right into Vegeta’s head.

“You don’t get to walk away from this!”

“D…Damn it!” Vegeta cursed his body unresponsive to his commands.

“This for everyone you’ve killed today!” Krillin screamed his voice cracking. “Die!”

_Please, wait!_

A familiar voice rang out in Krillin’s head loud enough to give him pause.

“G-Goku?” Krillin said looking to his side only to see his friend sprayed out on the ground just a few feet from him and Vegeta.

_Yeah, that was me. Sorry…but I still can’t…talk very loudly._

Krillin said nothing but had yet to let go of the energy pooled in his hand.

_Krillin…forgive me but I need you…to let him go._

The monk stiffened at the request.

“…What?”

_I…want you to let him go._

“Are you out of your mind? He killed our friends Goku, he tried to kill this entire planet. He tried to kill Gohan too! You just want him to let him go?”

_I…I know._

“If you think he’s going to change like Piccolo then you’re wrong. Someone like him will never change.”

Goku didn’t answer.

“You know I’m right! We’ll never get this chance! If we spare him now he’ll just come back!” Krillin screamed as he started to shake, his hand with a fistful of ki quivering. “I…I can’t go through this again!”

_I know… I know how hard this has been. But as I watched him lying there I couldn’t help but think…what a waste._

“A…waste…?”

_After training with King Kai I thought…I thought I had reached my peak. But Vegeta surpassed me in just about every way. To be honest…it surprised me! I hadn’t felt that way since I fought with Piccolo…But at the same time, deep down…when I see somebody that powerful…I get excited, my heart starts to race._

Krillin’s head was spinning and his focused started to waver. Vegeta took this opportunity to slowly back away not willing to give up this chance.

“You want me to let him go…because fighting him makes you…excited?”

_…Yes._

Turning back onto his stomach Vegeta’s crawling became a little more frantic as the distance between him and Krillin slowly started to widen.

“Goku I can’t! All he wants to do is kill and destroy! Humans are just bugs to him! He just wants to kill us because he can! That’s all he knows! I’m sorry Goku but I can’t!”

Walking with purpose Krillin cut the saiyan’s escape off prematurely by stopping right in front of Vegeta’s spaceship and pointing his hand still holding his ki at the desperate prince.

“He’s a saiyan, he has to die!”

_…Krillin. I’m a saiyan too._

Krillin paused.

“No…it’s different with you. You’re different.”

_No Krillin I’m not. I’m the same as him._

“No, you’re not!” Krillin shouted. “You have friends! You have a family! You’re more than just a killing machine!”

_…Krillin…I…killed my grandpa._

For a moment that seemed to last forever, Krillin didn’t breath.

 “What?”

_Saiyans…change when they look at the full moon…right? I know that now after watching Vegeta transform. The night…my grandpa died…I looked at the moon. It was full._

The monk didn’t say anything.

_I…I thought a… monster… had killed him. But it was me. I stepped on him…like it was nothing, but despite that when I saw him again at Baba’s place. He wasn’t mad. He was happy to see me._

The only sound that could be heard was the angry growls from the defeated prince, unsure if he was going to live or die.

_He gave me a second chance and I’m asking you to do the same for Vegeta, one chance that’s all._

“…You’re asking for too much.”

_I know._

“…If I let him go you have to promise me something. Whatever happens from now on, you’ll be strong enough to stop it. Even if he comes back with an army, you’ll stop him.”

_…I promise._

“…I mean it Goku.”

_I promise._

Firing one sharp blast of concentrated energy Krillin blasted away what remained of Vegeta’s tail. The stump dissolved into dust in an instant and left the prince screaming in pain.

“I took your tail,” Krillin said ignoring the screams pouring out from the saiyan. “But I’m letting you crawl away with your life.” Without another word, the monk stepped to the side allowing Vegeta access to his starship.

Biting down hard Vegeta muffled his agony and crawled into his ship barely able to move. As he sat down onto the seat his blood already coating the inside of his spacecraft the saiyan prince locked eyes with Krillin.

“The next time I see you…I’ll kill you.”

Krillin returned the glare with one of his own.

“You can try.”

The door of the spaceship closed with a click and the sphere hovered for a moment before jetting off into the sky. Within moments the ship had broken through the Earth’s atmosphere and was shooting into space. Krillin watched until he lost sight of the spaceship his eyes adjusting to the orange glow of the late afternoon once he did.

“You can try.” The monk said to himself before exhaustion of the battle and the blood loss from his shoulder finally caught up to him. Stealing his consciousness and balance as darkness swallowed him whole.


	19. Forever Changed

“…lin.”

_What?…_

“…illin.”

_Is someone talking?_

“Mr. Krillin. Can you hear me?”

The question forced Krillin to stir as light poured into his eyes. Trying to take in his surroundings the monk was surprised when he was greeted by two unfamiliar faces staring down at him. On his left stood a man with glasses and a stethoscope hanging from his neck. On his right was a woman dressed in white, with concern dressed on her face.

“Take it easy Mr. Krillin, you’ve been through a lot.” The man said slowly. “Nurse please contact the family, they are going to want to know he’s awake.”

“Yes, doctor.”

The woman turned and left the room closing the door behind her.

“Where?” Krillin began to say as he struggled to sit upright before the doctor placed a hand on his shoulder and set him back down.

“You’re in the West City hospital Mr. Krillin, you’ve been here for the past two days.”

“Two days?”

“Yes, how are you feeling?”

 “I’m fine, but I need to…was there anyone else with me? Son Goku and Tien Shinhan?”

“They are both here Mr. Krillin.” The doctor said as he picked up a nearby clipboard and took a long look at it. “But before we get to them there is something you should know about your recovery.”

“My recovery?” Krillin said shifting his weight his he could try and sit upright. As he took stock of how he was actually feeling, His body ached but only from the lack of movement and his head somehow felt light and dull at the same time. Yet what Krillin hadn’t noticed what the lack of feeling coming from the right side of his body. Looking over he saw that he had been bandaged almost from top to bottom. From his right shoulder to his right arm which lay in a sling, all the way down to his hip, everything was covered in light surgical covering.

“Unfortunately Mr. Krillin, you are not completely fine.” The doctor said his voice heavy. “The cut you received on your right shoulder has done extensive nerve damage. It seems to have affected your ability to move your right arm. We do not know if you will ever be able to use it again.”

“What?”

“We will do everything we can to ensure that does not happen. Ms. Briefs has ensured that you receive the best care possible and with physical therapy you may recover full mobility. However, that is only a possibility.”

Krillin said nothing but looked at his arm lying at his side.

_Move._

His arm did not respond.

_Move._

His arm did not.

His mind began to panic but he shook out of it quickly.

_Korin should have some senzu beans soon, he’ll be able to heal this._

“Okay,” Krillin said after a full minute of silence. “What about my friends?”

The doctor looked at Krillin with surprise, it isn’t often one shakes off the loss of a limb so easily. Though he could only sigh at the question the monk presented.

“Yes, Ms. Briefs explained that you three were in an airship crash is that correct?”

_I guess that’s the best explanation she could come up with._

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Unfortunately you are in the best condition compared to your friends. Mr. Son Goku’s entire body has broken down and it is unclear if he will ever truly recover. He’ll need at least four months of recovery at the minimum.”

“Is he awake?”

“Amazingly yes, he took the news fairly easily.”

_That’s Goku for you, I guess he’s counting on the senzu beans too._

“What about Tien?”

“…I’m very sorry to say your friend Tien Shinhan has yet to awaken.”

“Do you know when he will?”

“No Mr. Krillin, your friend is in a coma.” 

“…a coma? Are you sure?”

“Yes, he is completely unresponsive to everything we have tried. He is alive that we know, but we are unsure when or if he will ever wake up. It could be the trauma of losing an arm or the body shutting down as a result of the crash.”

Krillin said nothing.

_He was caught point blank in that blast Vegeta sent out. That must have done it. Can a senzu bean wake someone up from a coma?_

“Can I see them either of them?”

“Not yet, neither one of them is ready for visitors. You have only just woken up yourself. I know this is a lot to take in but let them get some rest first and then I’ll allow it.”

Before either man could say another word the door opened wide enough for the nurse from earlier to peek her head into the room.

“Doctor, a Mr. Roshi said they could be here in 30 minutes if the patient is feeling up to it.”

“What do you say, Mr. Krillin? You are welcome to receive visitors if you wish but I must insist that you stay in bed during their visit.”

“…yeah, I’d like to see them.”

* * *

 

“Krillin?”

It had been 23 minutes since the doctor had asked the monk if he was up to seeing visitors. His name being called was the first sound the room had heard since then, the doctor and the nurse had left him alone with his thoughts and a large window to look out at.

“Master Roshi,” Krillin said turning his head to face the old man.

The hermit walked toward his student and pulled up a chair next to the bed.

“How are you feeling?”

“The doctor said…that I might never be able to move my arm again.”

“…I see.”

“How did I get here?”

“Gohan arrived home after you had sent him away. He explained the situation to Chichi who called us. We didn’t move until Gohan said he couldn’t sense Vegeta anymore. Bulma used to her airship to drive Chichi, Launch, Gohan, Korin, and me to where you had fought the saiyans.”

The old man let out a long breath.

“We found you, Goku, and Tien quickly thankfully, but we also found Piccolo and… Yajirobi.”

Krillin flinched.

“Gohan told us where to find Yamcha, but there was no sign of Chiaotzu. Gohan was too upset to talk at that point; Goku said you might know what happened to him.”

Krillin said nothing.

“After that Bulma flew us here and made up a story to get the three of you admitted, she’s been quite busy covering the cost and keeping a story straight.”

“I’ll have to thank her.”

“She should be thanking you, we all should be.”

Krillin nodded but didn’t answer and let the conversation wither for a moment.

“Gohan saw Piccolo?”

“Yes, …he did. That surprised me I didn’t think Goku’s own son would have grown so attached to the spawn of the demon king.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect that either.”

“Yet with his death…things have grown much more dire.”

“…the dragonballs are gone Master Roshi. No one is coming back.”

“Yes, …we know.”

“We? Who else is here?”

“Bulma, Launch, and Korin are outside I told them to let me go in to see you first. They’re ready to come in when you are. Chichi and Gohan are also here trying to see Goku.”

“Okay, you can let them in. Does Launch know about Tien?”

“Yes, the poor girl is a mess.”

“Before I left, I told her I would make sure Tien was okay.”

“She’ll understand.”

“…I wouldn’t.”

Master Roshi placed a hand on Krillin’s shoulder before getting up from his chair and opening the door.

“He’s ready.”

As soon as the old hermit had said that Launch, Bulma, and Korin entered the small hospital room.

“It’s good to see you all,” Krillin said forcing a smile.

“How are you feeling?” Bulma asked the concern in her voice easy to hear.

“The doctors aren’t sure if I’ll be able to move my right arm but I’m hoping Korin will have some senzu beans to help with that.”

“They’ll be ready in a month; you have nothing to worry about.” said the cat.

“Good, that’ll help Goku too,” Krillin said before falling quiet. “Will it help Tien?”

“…I’m not sure,” Korin said hanging his head.

“Launch,” Krillin said turning to look at the blue-haired girl. “I am so sorry.”

“He’ll wake up.” Launch said without hesitation. “He’ll wake up soon, I know it.”

Krillin nodded, “How much do you guys know about the fight?”

“Only what Goku has told us from his perspective, we’re hoping you could tell us more.” Master Roshi said stepping closer to the bed.

Krillin nodded again and tried to brace himself.

“They were monsters.”

“They? Goku only mentioned Vegeta,” said Bulma.

“There was another one called Nappa, we…took care of him before Goku arrived, but not before he killed Yamcha and Chiaotzu.”

“…how did they die?” Master Roshi asked.

“Yamcha…died saving Piccolo’s life, he knew if Piccolo died Kami would share the same fate. He was probably thinking about East City.”

Bulma put a hand over her mouth and tried to muffle a sob.

“Chiaotzu tried to kill the saiyan by detonating the energy inside himself, it didn’t work. You won’t find his body. Tien went crazy and attacked the saiyan alone, Nappa ripped his arm off with a punch.”

Krillin looked at Launch again.

“He tried to take out Nappa in a final attack that would have killed himself. He didn’t want to leave Chiaotzu alone, I stopped him but he still-”

“He’ll wake up!” Launch shouted cutting of Krillin. “He will.”

“What happened next?” Korin asked after a pause.

“After Chiaotzu we rushed Nappa again, we were able to knock him out and get Vegeta to agree to a three-hour break while we waited for Goku.”

“A break? Why would he do that?” Bulma asked.

“He’s a saiyan, like Goku all he wants to do is fight. So I told him Goku would be able to give him the best fight possible.”

“Smart move,” said Master Roshi.

“It only partially worked, after three hours Goku still hadn’t shown up so we had to hold Vegeta off until he did. It was a slaughter, he nearly killed all of us.”

“So that’s when Goku showed up?” asked Bulma.

“Yes, he wanted to fight Vegeta on his own so we left him but after a bit, we sensed that something was wrong. Vegeta had used his energy to create a miniature moon and transform into a great ape.”

“Goku told us about the fight. Both Yajirobi and Piccolo were killed there.”

Krillin nodded “Yajirobi was…he…”

“Did he die well?”

Krillin paused before he turned to look at Korin. “…yes.”

“Then that’s all I need to know.”

“What about Piccolo?” asked Launch.

“…did Goku tell you about the spirit bomb?”

“It was something he learned from that King Kai guy right?” asked Bulma.

“Yes, but he didn’t have the strength to throw it, so he passed it onto me.”

Krillin grew silent though no one pressured him to speak.

“I…waited too long and Vegeta noticed me, I couldn’t attack with his attention on me or he would have dodged. So Piccolo grabbed him from behind and told me to throw it…so I did….that’s what killed him…him and Kami.”

Krillin looked at his friends.

“The dragonballs are gone because of me. I’m the one who-”

“You killed Mr. Piccolo?”

Krillin stopped. He stopped talking and breathing. He slowly turned to see both Gohan and Chichi standing by the doorway, the young half-saiyan was shaking trying to hold back his tears while his mother tried to comfort him.

“Gohan sweetie it’s not-” Chichi began.

“You! You said that you and Mr. Piccolo would be back! You promised!”

“Gohan I-”

“YOU’RE A LIAR!”

Without another word, Gohan ran out and down the hall away from Krillin in his bed. Chichi paused and glanced at the monk before running after her son.

“He didn’t mean that Krillin,” Bulma said trying to comfort. “He just doesn’t-”

“He’s right.”

Krillin’s words stopped Bulma cold.

“I promised him we would be back, I promised Launch that Tien would be safe, and I promised Yamcha and Chiaotzu they would go home, that we would all go home.”

Krillin’s left hand gripped his blanket while his right stayed lifeless by his side. His grip became so tight his knuckles started to turn white.

“I am a liar. But maybe it’s not too late to fix things.”

“What are you talking about?” Launch asked.

“When we were fighting the saiyans they called Piccolo a namekian, said he was from a different planet. Like Goku.”

“A different planet? I thought he was just the demon king,” said Master Roshi.

“So did I but if they were telling the truth then maybe there is a whole planet with creatures like Piccolo and Kami. If that’s the case then maybe they’ll have dragonballs there too.”

“That’s a big if Krillin, do you know where this planet is?” asked Korin.

“No, and I don’t even have a way to get there.”

“Perhaps I can help.”

The group of friends turned toward the voice that happened to be hanging out of the closest window. There standing on a floating carpet was Mr. Popo.

“Mr. Popo!” Krillin said unable to hide his surprise.

“Hello there.”

“What are you doing here Mr. Popo?” Korin said approaching the window.

“You need a ship to get into space right? I have a spaceship.”

“You do?” Bulma asked.

“Possibly.”

 “Krillin, who is that?” Master Roshi said turning to his student.

“That’s Mr. Popo, he helped us train with Kami on the lookout. But Mr. Popo what do you mean you possibly have a spaceship?”

“It means I could possibly have a spaceship but I need someone to come with me to make certain.”

“I’ll go,” Krillin said throwing off his covers.

“Are you crazy?” Bulma asked stopping the monk almost immediately. “You are in no condition to go anywhere. You’re not even wearing clothes all you have is a medical gown!”

“Well, I’m not just going to stay here and do nothing.”

“You’ve done enough you-”

“I can do more,” Krillin said locking eyes with his blue-haired friend. “Please.”

Bulma flinched from the plea.

“Let him go.” Master Roshi said. “He knows his limits.”

“But-” Bulma began to say as Krillin slowly got out of his bed. “Fine! But I’m going too I’ve got the most experience with this type of thing.”

“Alright.”

The two crawled onto the floating carpet slowly with Bulma helping Krillin on carefully.

“We’re counting on you two,” said Korin.

Krillin gave a soft nod before he, Bulma, Mr. Popo, and the carpet disappeared out of sight.

“W-where did they go?” Launch asked.

* * *

 

The carpet reappeared with all its passengers hovering above the ground surrounded by mountains and freezing air that blustered around them.

“We’re here.” Mr. Popo said as he hopped off the carpet.

It wasn’t so easy for Krillin or Bulma who reacted to the cold by gripping their bodies with the arms they had and shivering.

 “It’s freezing!” Bulma said her teeth chattering.

“W-where are we?” Krillin asked. _Maybe I should have waited to change._

“Yunzabit highlands.” Mr. Popo said looking around.

“Y-yunzabit?! That’s on the other side of the planet!” Bulma said while stepping off of the carpet her arms still wrapped around her body. “We came all the way here in one instant?”

“Where was it?” Mr. Popo said walking away from the questioning blue haired girl.

“Mr. Popo,” Krillin said while moving slowly, his body having trouble keeping up. “That carpet, why didn’t you let Goku use it? Couldn’t that have helped him arrive at the fight faster?”

“No.” Mr. Popo said as he continued to walk forward. “The carpet can cover great distances but it is repealed by negative energy. The amount of ki the saiyans were generating would have rendered the carpet useless.”

“Oh.”

“We did everything we could Krillin.”

The monk said nothing.

“There.”

Mr. Popo pointed off a small cliff to a moss-covered structure that both Krillin and Bulma did not recognize. The monk Krillin thought it looked like a strange alien insect one that if startled would either run or attack. It stood on four legs connected to a cocoon-shaped body at the back a smaller spike jetted out from the rear. While the front of it had four spikes growing out two long and two short. It also had what appeared to be three blue windows one big and the other smaller. Though you could not see through the windows looking at it from the outside, contrasting the blue the rest of the structure that wasn’t covered in green moss was colored pale white.

 “Woah.” Said Krillin as he jumped off the small cliff and landed in front of the structure.

“So, is it a spaceship?” Mr. Popo asked following the monk’s lead.

“Let me take a look at it,” Bulma said walking right up to one of the structure’s four legs. Tapping her fist against the leg the blue-haired genius studied the craft. “It’s not made of any metal on Earth that’s for sure…it’s solid as well despite the age…Mr. Popo what is this thing?”

“This…was Kami’s home.” Mr. Popo said his voice heavy with grief. “100 years ago Kami finally told me about his past. He had hesitated to tell me for so long as his past is a wound that never fully healed. When he was a child he lived here in Yunzabit.”

“But nothing lives in Yunzabit, it’s uninhabitable.” Said Krillin.

“Kami did, how I do not know, but he did. He himself doesn’t know how he ended up here apparently. He told me that when he was very young he was in a terrible accident and lost his memories, much like Son Goku and his saiyan heritage. Despite that, he remained here hoping he would someday find someone like him, a parent or a friend, anyone. Yet they never came.”

“That’s terrible, but what does it have to do with this structure.”

“You’re impatient, I’m getting to that.” Mr. Popo said with a glare.

“Oh…sorry,” Bulma mumbled.

“Even after he left Kami would return here to check on his house. It wasn’t until he had explored the world did he realize that this house wasn’t like the ones found on Earth. It was something different.”

Turning toward the sphere Mr. Popo shouted, “Piccolo!”

As soon as the name was said the bottom of the structure fell out slowly landing on the ground and providing a platform to stand on.

“Stand on here.” Mr. Popo said pointing to the platform.

Krillin and Bulma obeyed without question too stunned to say anything. When all three of them were on the platform Mr. Popo again shouted. “Piccolo!”

Slowly the platform began to rise until it had returned to its original placement. Krillin, Bulma, and Mr. Popo now stood inside the structure.

“Look closely.” said Mr. Popo “This isn’t a house, it’s a spaceship isn’t it?”

Taking a look around Krillin had to agree. Inside the walls were still the same white as the outside while being noticeable cleaner. The floor was tiled with purple squares that were just as spotless. The windows that you couldn’t see in from the outside displayed the Yunzabit highland quite nicely. Towards the front sat what appeared to be a chair and in front of that was a console of some sort.

_It certainly looks more like a spaceship than a house to me._ Krillin thought. “What do you think Bulma?”

“Well, if Kami and Piccolo really are aliens then this would be the ship they would have arrived on that much is clear,” Bulma said walking around trying to absorb as much information about the ship as she could. “There’s only one problem.”

“What?”

“Even if this is a spaceship and even if we get it working again we don’t have the first clue as to where this planet would be. Space isn’t exactly tiny.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Krillin said his hopes dwindling.

“Why don’t you ask King Kai?” said Mr. Popo. “He’s probably listening in right now.”

_Indeed I am Mr. Popo._

“Wha?! What is that?! Someone’s talking in my head!” Bulma screamed.

“That’s King Kai, he’s the who trained Goku after he died,” said Mr. Popo.

“Really? I didn’t know he could talk to us like this! Can he really find the planet Piccolo and Kami came from?”

_Of course, I can! They don’t call me King Kai for nothing! Also for the record, the planet you are trying to find is called Namek and they do indeed have dragonballs to use._

“Namek,” Krillin said trying to get used to the name. “So there’s a chance we can wish everyone back to life!”

_Yes, there’s a chance. You’ll find planet Namek at SU83 by 9045XY._

“9045XY!?” Bulma shouted her surprise easily seen on her face.

“Do you know where that is Bulma?” Krillin asked.

“Hold on,” Bulma said taking out a Capsule Corp calculator and started punching in numbers.

_While I have your attention Krillin, I wanted to apologize for my part in this tragedy. I greatly miscalculated the saiyan’s power, I never knew they would be that strong._

“Oh! That is- no need for that King Kai! You did every-”

_Please don’t force yourself, I am sorry._

“…thank you. By any chance do you know what life on Namek is like? Are the residents like Piccolo or Kami?”

_From what I can tell the Namekians are peaceful by nature. The part of Kami that became Piccolo was due to being tainted by Earth’s influence._

“Wait Piccolo was created because of Earth?”

_Yes, evil Earthlings encountered him during his formative years and corrupted him to his core. Later he was forced to split from Piccolo to become the guardian of Earth._

“Who were these people? How did they corrupt Kami?”

“They were humans.” Mr. Popo said. “Kami never told me their names or how he met them, he said they were just simple humans who hated him simply based on how he looked. That encounter had such a profound effect on him that their evil seeped into him and he started seeking the position of guardian not for the good he could do, but the power it provides.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.”

“Few do.”

“I hate to interrupt your conversation but we have another problem,” Bulma said showing the two her calculator. “I just calculated how long it would take a spaceship made with the world’s best engine to get to Namek. It would take us 4339 years and 3 months, we’d be long dead before we get anywhere close. So fingers crossed this spaceship can move faster than that.”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Mr. Popo said pointing to the console at the front. Slowly Bulma walked to the front of the spacecraft unsure of what was going to happen next. She began to closely study the console.

“Well, the entrance worked so we at least know this place still has power.”

As the minutes passed the blue-haired genius poked and prodded the console looking for some sort of way to make it mobile, unfortunately to no avail.

“Uuugh, it doesn’t look like it runs on buttons. Maybe it needs some kind of code?”

“What about a phrase?” Krillin suggested. “Like how saying Piccolo opened it up?”

“Of course! That makes sense!” Bulma said excitedly before turning back to the console. “Come on, work! Do you hear me?! Fly! Let me see you fly! Piccolo!”

In response to the outburst, the ship did not move in the slightest.

“It’s no use,” Bulma said sliding down in the chair just in front of the console. “Piccolo was probably just the command to get inside. We probably need to speak the complete language of the namekians to make it work.”

“That’s right; Kami and Piccolo spoke to each other in a different language back at the World Martial Art Tournament. That must be Namekian, but no one here on Earth speaks that language,” said Krillin.

“I do.”

Both Bulma and Krillin looked at Mr. Popo with wide eyes.

“You do?”

“Yes, Kami taught me long ago. Piccolo in namekian means a different world which is why it was used for the entrance.”

“Why did you say so in the first place?!” Bulma shouted, “Quick tell it to fly in namekian!”

“Fly to where?” Mr. Popo asked.

“Anywhere! How about Jupiter?”

“Jupiter? Isn’t that kind of far?” Krillin asked already looking to brace himself in case this worked.

Ignoring the monk Mr. Popo leaned in toward the console and spoke in a tongue that Krillin did not recognize. As soon as the words were heard the console sparked to life with a sharp beep.

“It says acknowledged!” Mr. Popo exclaimed proudly.

However, before any of the three passengers could say anything else the ship they stood on shot upward with enough force to knock them off of their feet. Krillin landed on his side the wound on his shoulder vibrating with pain. Bulma started to scream as the ship quickly broke out of the Earth’s atmosphere and jetted out deep into space. Then almost as quickly as it started the ship stopped dead. Slowly the monk, the genius, and Mr. Popo got to their feet as the spaceship drifted slowly in the dark of space.

“I…I don’t believe it.”

Krillin heard Bulma and looked at her just to see her staring out of the window in front of her. Joining his friend he mimicked her awe as he stared out at what could only be the planet Jupiter.

“It’s Jupiter! It’s really Jupiter! We came out so far into space in such a short amount of time!” Bulma shouted her joy easy to see.

_This, this is one incredible spaceship._ Krillin thought unable to stop himself from looking at the giant gas planet.

“Thank goodness.”

Hearing Mr. Popo’s voice shook Krillin’s concentration from Jupiter and he turned to see the mysterious resident of the lookout failing to stop a thin stream of tears. “Now Kami can live again.”

* * *

 

“From what I can see, the spaceship was perfect! I’ll have to tweak the insides a bit, but with this ship, we could easily reach planet Namek in a month!”

After the namekian spacecraft returned from its trip to Jupiter the three wasted no time in returning to the hospital to tell the others the good news.

“If I work fast I can have it ready to launch in just five days!”

“Our glimmer of hope seems to have gotten brighter,” Korin said with a pleased look on his face.

“Well Mr. Popo, I guess it’s up to you to get us to planet Namek,” said Bulma.

“No, I will not be going to Namek.” Mr. Popo responded swiftly.

“What?! B-but you have to go! You’re the only one who knows how to speak any namekian!”

“It will take at least two months of travel to get to Namek and back. Without Kami Earth is without a guardian, I will have to fulfill that role until he returns to us.”

“B…but…”

“I will work with you on the ship to help translate the namekian language, with my help you should be able to change the sensor so it recognizes your tongue. You’ll be able to go without me.”

“F-fine! I guess I’ll have to install a shower, a bed, and maybe a stereo somehow, but I’m not going by myself!”

“A two-month round trip huh? I guess I’ve got no choice but to come with you!” Master Roshi said wearing a perverted grin.

“Don’t even think about it!” Bulma snapped. “What should I do though? Goku won’t have recovered enough to join without the senzu beans.”

“I’ll go with you.” Krillin quickly said.

“Are you sure? You’re still pretty injured yourself you won’t get any senzu to heal your arm in time. ”

“…I’ll be fine; this is something I have to do.”

“Okay, if you’re really sure.”

“I am.”

“You should also ask Gohan if he wants to join. I think he would really want too,” said Master Roshi.

“What? No, he should stay here it could be dangerous.” Krillin said quickly.

“That is precisely why he should go, you’ll need someone who is capable of fighting whatever you find out there. With Goku incapacitated and your arm disabled he is currently the strongest being on the planet.”

_Damn…he’s right._ Krillin thought unable to come up with an argument.

“Won’t Chichi be against that?” Launch asked.

“It’s worth a shot, the final decision will be his but I’d imagine he would be eager to bring back Piccolo,” said Master Roshi.

“Maybe but maybe he should stay here,” Krillin answered back.

“What why?” Bulma said a little confused.

“Someone strong should be here in case, in case Vegeta comes back.”

“Ah, that is some cause for concern. Goku mentioned you let him go at the end of the fight,” said Korin. “Do you think that was wise?”

“…I, I don’t know Goku wanted to give him another chance. Like Piccolo.”

Korin said nothing but the monk could tell he was unconvinced.

“So maybe it would be better if Gohan stayed here,” Krillin said again. “As long as he keeps Goku safe until the senzu are ready then the two of them have a better chance of stopping Vegeta.”

“Perhaps, but I feel like the boy still deserves to be asked,” said Master Roshi.

“Yeah that makes sense,” said Bulma “So we’re agreed, Me, Krillin, and Gohan if he can, will go to Namek and ask the namekians if we can use their dragonballs to bring everyone back to life.”

The room agreed and it wasn’t long before Bulma started to outline her plan for the spacecraft and what she would need from the others to help the process go faster. Krillin took the opportunity to quietly approach Mr. Popo with a question in mind.

“Mr. Popo, can I use your carpet to travel somewhere?”

“Now?” Mr. Popo asked.

“Yes, please.”

* * *

 

In an instant, the carpet with both Mr. Popo and Krillin appeared in a giant clearing. For miles in every direction, there was only dirt as far as the eye could see. It used to be the location of a bustling city filled with life. Thousands of people coming and going day after day living in unsuspecting peace, here lay the remains of East City where Vegeta and Nappa had landed only three days ago.

“East City? Why did you want to come here?” Mr. Popo asked while he watched Krillin jump off the carpet.

“I had to see it with my own eyes, what the saiyans did to this place,” Krillin said slowly.

Gazing out over nothingness Krillin felt his throat squeeze and his left-hand quiver.

“About half a year ago there was a girl here, her name was Suzy. Launch had just robbed a bank and she was escaping on a motorcycle. Suzy was trying to cross the street when Launch started tearing down the road, almost killed her. I think it happened around there.” Krillin said pointing at nothing. “I got her before she was hit; she and her mom thanked me later on TV. She called me Mr. Baldy.” Krillin said with a small laugh before his shoulders dropped and his head dipped. “I…I wonder if she here when the saiyans landed.”

Krillin looked around the area in horrified awe.

“There were so many people here. I should have stopped this.”

“How?”

Krillin turned to Mr. Popo his question hanging in the air.

“How would you have stopped this? You had no idea the saiyans would do this and you were miles away at the time. How would you have stopped this?”

“I…I don’t know but I should have. I should have been faster, or stronger or something.”

“You are not a god Krillin, there is a limit to what you can do.”

“I’m not a saiyan either.”

The monk squeezed his left hand while his right remained motionless in his sling.

“The only thing I had to do was to make sure Piccolo and Chiaotzu stayed alive, everything else could have been fixed with the dragonballs. That was it, but I failed. Even after I promised them that we would survive, but I kept making mistake after mistake.”

Krillin gritted his teeth his grief racking his wounded body.

“Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Yajirobi, Piccolo, the people of East City are gone because of me because I wasn’t good enough!”

Krillin’s shout echoed through the wasteland.

“I wasn’t able to save Yamcha! I wasn’t able to save Chiaotzu! I wasn’t able to save Yajirobi! I wasn’t able to save East City! And I- I couldn’t…I… Piccolo… and Kami....”

Punching the ground with his left with enough force to make it shake Krillin continued to shudder as tears ran down his face.

“I WASN’T STRONG ENOUGH!”

Rearing his fist back to punch the ground again the monk’s arm was caught and stopped by Mr. Popo. Turning his head to face Kami’s companion Krillin paused and let go of his anger sinking down into the dirt of East City.

“I killed Piccolo and Kami.” The monk said slowly. “I killed Shenron, and now we’re just relying on guesses and coincidences to bring everyone back. All because of me.”

For a moment that felt like an eternity the two bathed in silence saying nothing, until.

“Come, I wish to show you something.”

Turning to look at Mr. Popo who had yet to let go of his arm Krillin was lifted back onto his feet and led back in the direction of the floating carpet.

* * *

 

In another instant, the two reappeared on Kami’s lookout above the clouds of Earth looking out into the world below.

“What are we doing here?” Krillin asked stepping off of the carpet.

 “If you must blame yourself for your mistakes then you must also take credit for your accomplishments.” Mr. Popo said leading the monk to the edge of the lookout.

“My accomplishments?”

Mr. Popo gestured out into the far distance. The sky, the sea, the forests, and a number of cities all of it was clearly visible to the naked eye on top of Kami’s lookout.

“I don’t understand…what are you trying to show me?”

“The world, this is the world you saved Krillin.”

Blinking once Krillin looked out at the view again his mind racing.

“In your fight to keep your promise to Son Goku you have saved billions of lives Krillin, though they may not know it every living creature will continue to be because you fought.”

“I didn’t fight for them; if it had come to it I would have sacrificed all of them just to give Gohan a fighting chance.”

 “But that didn’t happen, because you fought hard enough to avoid that. Regardless of your intentions, the Earth will continue to turn because of your actions.”

Krillin said nothing in response.

“No one wins in war.” Mr. Popo said slowly.

“Heh, Kami said the same thing once,” Krillin said with a soft smile.

“Of course he did, he said it because it’s the truth. Every war has loss and you have lost much. However, you have also created a chance to change that. Without you not only would have Kami perished but likely he would have stayed that way forever.”

“What do you mean?” Krillin asked.

“Kami was aware of his death long before the battle against the saiyans had started.”

“What? How?”

“It is one of the benefits of being Earth’s guardian if you can call it that.”

“Why…didn’t he tell me?”

“No doubt he wanted to spare you the burden of that knowledge.”

“…did he know I was going to be the one to kill him?”

“That, I do not know.”

Mr. Popo paused and let a soft moment pass between him and the monk.

“Kami told me you were unable to visualize the number of people at risk in the fight against the saiyans. That you preferred to fight for the sake of your promise to Son Goku to keep his family safe, do you believe you have accomplished that?” Mr. Popo asked.

“…I’m not sure.”

“No? Both Gohan and Chichi have survived the fight against the saiyans.”

“Yeah but the fight isn’t over yet. Vegeta is still out there and who knows what is going to be waiting for us on Namek.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Krillin paused.

“I…I want to change, I have to change. So that I can protect the people I care about.”

“Must you? Son Goku has returned does that not mean you have played your part well enough? You also had him promise to stop any new threats, isn’t that enough?”

“…No.”

“Why not?”

“Goku couldn’t win against Vegeta without help despite all of his new strength. He made a promise but I can’t rely on just that. I don’t want to stay in the background doing nothing, I have to become stronger.”

“And what will you do with all this strength?”

“…I want to be strong enough that when I make another promise. I’ll be able to keep it. No matter who I make it to.”

“…as Kami suspected. You are indeed special” Mr. Popo said with a wide grin. “I can see why he believed you to be worthy.”

“Worthy? Worthy of what?”

“To replace him, as the guardian of Earth.”

 

(End of part 1)


	20. Author's Note

**Hi everyone I hope you are all well and enjoying the weekend.**

**If you've made it this far then I have to thank you for reading! This story started as a passion project with a fixed ending but spiraled out to something more and it's been great getting this far. So thank you for taking some time to read through my work I really appreciate it!**

**Chapter 19 was the end of Krillin vs The Saiyans but it is far from the end of the story. Currently, I am working on the next entry in the series which is called Krillin vs The Universe's Worst which will cover the Namek saga. At the moment I have only written a couple of chapters of that and they are all available on Fanfiction.net.**

**So now the question becomes would any of you prefer I upload those chapters here as well? That's easy enough for me but once we get to the newest chapter the upload process will be much slower as I haven't written the next part just yet.**

**Below is a preview of the next story but please let me know if you would like more chapters available here or if you have any notes and criticisms for the series so far.**

**Again thank you for everything it's been fun revisiting the older chapters and meeting all of you, take care for now!**

* * *

 

“Do you feel better?”

Krillin took stock of himself and aside from the stiffness of sleeping on a porch and the soft pressure of his shoulder wound he felt good.

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Krillin said stifling a yawn.

“Glad to hear it.” Master Roshi said sitting down next to his student. “You weren’t screaming this time.”

“You heard that?”

“Hard not to, woke me up this morning.”

“Oh…sorry.”

“Don’t be, I understand. Do you want to talk about it?”

Krillin paused not sure if he did.

_May as well. Don’t think anyone else is going to ask._

“It’s nightmares mostly.”

“About Vegeta?”

“Yeah, sometimes. But a lot of them are about Nappa.”

“Nappa?”

“The other saiyan,” Krillin said slowly. “We…I, didn’t just leave him unconscious.”

“We saw him while we were looking for Yamcha and Chiaotzu. He had a hole in his head. Did Piccolo do that?”

“No, I did.”

“Ah…I see.”

Master and student didn’t say a lot after that, instead opting to watch the sea flowing on and off the tiny island.

“What did you guys do with the body?” Krillin asked breaking the quiet.

“We buried it miles away from the battlefield. No one else is going to find it unless they’re looking for it.”

“Okay.”

The silence returned stronger, but only for a moment.

“The scariest part is that I don’t regret it,” Krillin said gripping his left hand tightly. “He would have done the same thing to the entire world, to billions of people and wouldn’t have thought twice about it. I stopped that, but he was still alive wasn’t he? Shouldn’t I feel something? Some kind of sadness? Something?”

“That depends on what you want. Do you want to feel sorry for him?” Master Roshi said softly.

“No, I hated him and I still do, he killed Yamcha and Chiaotzu. Yet even after avenging them, I think he still took a part of me, something I can’t get back. At the time I was shaking afterward, but now thinking back on it I…I don’t feel anything. I killed someone. Even if he was a monster shouldn’t I feel sad over that?”

 “Unfortunately that just may be the state of things for you,” Master Roshi said looking out at the red sky. “This battle has changed you there is no doubt about that; you may never be the same again. But you have to learn that not being the same is alright. You are still yourself just a different form of you, and that’s okay,” Master Roshi said before turning back to look at Krillin “Do you know what that makes you?”


End file.
